Five-day QCA course as part of the Global School in Empirical Research Methods (GSERM), hosted by the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland Course Overview This intensive workshop provides a thorough introduction to both crisp- and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Participants receive hands-on instruction with the fsQCA software package and develop the skills necessary to … Continue reading Crisp and Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) Course at GSERM, St. Gallen, Switzerland | June 8-12, 2026 →

This five-day course introduces Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), a set-theoretic method that enables researchers to analyze causal complexity by identifying necessary and sufficient configurations of conditions for an outcome. The course combines conceptual foundations with hands-on exercises, including calibration, necessity and sufficiency analysis, truth tables, and solution interpretation using R. Instructor: Eva Thomann, University of … Continue reading Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) →

This five-day course provides an introduction to process tracing as a qualitative method for within-case causal inference. Participants learn how to theorize causal mechanisms, collect and assess empirical evidence, and apply process tracing to their own research designs. Instructor: Hilde van Meegdenburg, Leiden University

This introductory course provides a practical introduction to R for social scientists. Participants learn the basics of R programming, data import and cleaning, data transformation, visualization, and reproducible research workflows. Instructor: Daniel Kovarek, Central European University

This advanced course supports participants in developing and implementing rigorous comparative research designs. Topics include the logic of comparison, case selection, data collection strategies, analytical approaches across qualitative and quantitative methods, and writing a coherent and defensible research design. Instructor: Benoît Rihoux, Université catholique de Louvain

This advanced course builds on introductory QCA and focuses on state-of-the-art developments in set-theoretic methods. Topics include limited diversity, robustness checks, enhanced standard analysis, theory evaluation, and combining QCA with other qualitative methods such as process tracing, using R. Instructor: Ioana-Elena Oana, European University Institute

Causal complexity is everywhere in the social sciences—yet most researchers lack the systematic tools to capture it rigorously. In this intensive 5-day workshop (28 contact hours) you will learn how to design, apply, and publish empirical research with Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in the R software environment. The course follows the comprehensive framework developed in … Continue reading Exploring Causal Complexity with Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), Lugano →