The central aim of the course is to enable participants to put in practice state-of-the-art QCA empirical research. Apart from learning how to apply QCA in the best possible way, discussions in class will address from a set-theoretic point of view general methodological issues, such as robustness tests, theory evaluation, case selection strategies, or the role of time and temporality in descriptive and causal inference. Core topics: Enhanced Standard Analysis; QCA Robustness Test Protocol; clustered data; Set-Theoretic Theory Evaluation; Set-Theoretic Multi-Method Research (SMMR); various analytic strategies for integrating the temporal dimension into QCA; standards of good practice.

This course is offered as part of the Summer School in Social Research Methods which is developed and coordinated by MethodsNET in collaboration with the Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University. MethodsNET is a global methods excellence network that offers world class training in social research methods, through its top instructors from renowned universities worldwide. This course of the Summer School in Social Research Methods has a unique approach: the morning is fully dedicated to the course topics mentioned in the course description. In the afternoon, you can choose to take part in a rich set of extra optional training activities to broaden or deepen your skills and knowledge.