Introduction to Causal Data Analysis and Modeling with Coincidence Analysis
2023-05-15 - 2023-05-18 | Prague University of Economics and Business, Czech Republic, Czech Republic
This workshop offers an intensive 4-day introduction to causal modeling with Coincidence Analysis (CNA), a relatively new configurational comparative method of data analysis geared towards causal complexity, which has seen a considerable uptick in applications in recent years. No prior knowledge of CNA is required.
In plenary lectures, the main developer of CNA, Michael Baumgartner, and a team of experienced CNA methodologists and practitioners will guide participants through the nuts and bolts of configurational data analysis as well as cutting-edge methodological innovations. In smaller practice groups, the instructors will demonstrate how to make the most of current software for CNA and offer advice on practical issues, such as getting funded and published with CNA.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
2023-06-05 - 2023-06-09 | GSERM, University of St. Gallen, Tellstrasse 2 9000 St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
The goal of this workshop is to provide a ground-up introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and fuzzy sets. Participants will get intensive instruction and hands-on experience with the fsQCA software package and on completion should be prepared to design and execute research projects using the set-analytic approach.
CHF 1’100.00 for Master/Phd students and CHF 2’000.00 for Post-Docs / Professionals / Institutional Partners.

Comparative Research Designs
2023-06-19 - 2023-06-23 | Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, Nijmegen, 6525 XZ, Netherlands
The purpose of this course is to provide training on all aspects that enable a researcher to build and implement the most appropriate comparative research design – the latter broadly defined as any research enterprise that comprises at least two ‘cases’ or observations.
On the one hand, the course will cover a few fundamental upstream questions: why compare; what is the added value of comparison? What are the logical underpinnings and mental operations behind comparison? What should be the mindset of a good comparative researcher? What should be his/her goals? What is the link between a research puzzle and the choice for a comparative research design?
On the other hand, the practicalities of different types of comparative research designs will be examined in detail, by following all the hands-on steps:
(1) prior arbitrations and ‘casing’, i.e. the definition of the cases;
(2) case selection, through more basic or more advanced strategies;
(3) collecting and managing comparative data;
(4) comparative data analysis (qualitative, QCA and quantitative options).

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): Performing Basic and Advanced Analyses using R
2023-06-19 - 2023-06-30 | Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, Nijmegen, 6525 XZ, Netherlands
This is a methodological course on set-theoretic methods for the social sciences. While the spectrum of set-theoretic methods is broad, including techniques such as Mill’s methods or typological theory, this course primarily focuses on Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Invented by Charles Ragin [1987], this technique is still undergoing modifications, improvements, and ramifications with applications in fields as diverse as political science, public policy, international relations, sociology, business and management studies, or even musicology.
This course aims at enabling students to produce a publishable QCA of their own. In order to achieve this, the course provides both the formal set theoretical underpinnings of QCA and the technical and research practical skills necessary for performing a QCA. All applied parts of the course will be performed in the R software environment, using RStudio (Cloud). The course is structured as follows:
Week 1 of the course is dedicated to an introduction of the nuts and bolts of QCA as well as the R software environment. We start with some basics of formal logic and set theory. Then we introduce the notions of sets and how they are calibrated. After this, we move on to the concepts of causal complexity and of necessity and sufficiency, show how the latter denote subset relations, and then learn how such subset relations can be analyzed with so-called truth tables. We learn how to logically minimize truth tables and what the options for the treatment of so-called logical remainders are.
In Week 2, once participants master the current standard analysis practice, we discuss several extensions and improvements of QCA. Discussions in class will address from a set-theoretic point of view general methodological issues and advanced tools for solidifying and extending QCA. The topics covered include robustness tests, theory evaluation, case selection strategies for combining QCA with within-case process tracing, and the role of time and temporality in descriptive and causal inference.
Throughout the course, we will analyze fake and real data in the computer lab, using the R software environment and packages QCA and SetMethods. In addition to prepared datasets, which will be made available, participants are encouraged to bring their own raw data (even if this data is still tentative), which can be used for lab exercises and project work. Instructors and teaching assistants will be available for individual appointments with course participants to discuss research projects, questions regarding the design of a QCA study, and similar issues.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): Performing Basics and Advanced Analyses using R
2023-06-19 09:00 - 2023-06-30 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Online
This is a methodological course on set-theoretic methods for the social sciences. While the spectrum of a set-theoretic methods is broad, including techniques such as Mill’s methods or typological theory, this course primarily focuses on the crisp-set and fuzzy-set versions ofQualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Invented by Charles Ragin [1987], this technique isstill undergoing modifications, improvements, and ramifications. These methods are applied infields as diverse as political science, public policy, international relations, sociology, businessand management studies, or even musicology (see www.compasss.org).
This course aims atenabling students to produce a publishable QCA of their own. In order to achieve this, this course provides both the formal set theoretical underpinnings of QCA and the technical and Schneider & Oana – QCA, IPSA FLACSO, Fall 2022 research practical skills necessary for performing a QCA. All applied parts of the course will be performed in the R software environment, using RStudio (Cloud).

​​Introduction to Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA)​
2023-06-26 - 2023-06-30 | Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, Nijmegen, 6525 XZ, Netherlands
This doctoral course will teach you the fundamentals of Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and help you design your first NCA research project. Necessary Condition Analysis is an innovative research method for identifying necessary (but not sufficient) conditions in data sets. Allowing you to separate the “need-to-haves” from the “nice-to-haves”, NCA offers compelling practical advice and novel theoretical insights. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to NCA, including its theoretical logic, practical application, relation to other research methods, and research design.
The course is designed for students, researchers, and practitioners who want to understand the fundamentals of NCA and learn how they can effectively use the method in their own research projects.
This unique five-day course combines theoretical discussions with practical assignments. You will learn more about conditional logic and how it changes the way we think about causal relationships. We will teach you how to conduct an NCA with the statistical programming language R and RStudio. You will also learn how to identify and formulate necessary condition hypotheses in your own area of expertise. The course will be interactive and developmental in nature. At the end of the course, you will be able to design your own NCA research project.
You will earn 2ECTS when you complete the attendance and participations requirements of the course. It will also be possible to obtain 2 additional ECTS. To do so, you need to write a short academic paper that correctly uses NCA, including the theoretical development and empirical testing of necessity hypotheses.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis Training
2023-07-24 - 2023-07-28 | Online
At this year’s ICPSR Summer Program, Professor Ingo Rohlfing will offer an introductory QCA course (virtual/remote) from July 24 to 28. The course introduces participants to the complete QCA workflow and its implementation in RStudio. The course is virtual with a combination of live sessions and recordings for asynchronous following. Here is the course outline:

QCA can be used to answer any substantively motivated research question if one is interested in analyzing patterns of necessity and sufficiency. There is neither a limit in the number of cases that one can process nor with regard to the nature of the data that can be micro data, macro data or a mix of data types. If you believe that the empirical phenomenon you want to explain in your research requires a set-relational perspective, potentially including a complex interplay of multiple conditions, and you want to use QCA, then this course is for you. The course introduces participants to the logic and techniques of QCA on an applied level using R/RStudio. You will be introduced to the basic principles and requirements of sound QCA research and learn how to implement them using R. At the end of the course, participants will be familiar with the key elements of a QCA study. They will know how to read, criticize and implement an empirical QCA study. Basic knowledge of QCA, set-theoretic thinking and R is useful, but not necessary for taking the course.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): A Set-Analytic Approach To Studying Configurations
2023-08-04 - 2023-08-08 | Academy of Management, Boston, MA, United States
The PDW includes 3 Parts. If you have no or only a little knowledge of, and experience with, QCA you can join us during Part 1 to learn the basic “nuts and bolts” of QCA and configurational logic and understand if this might be the right tool for your research project.
If you’re joining us for Part 1 and Part 2, you do not need to register (PDW open to all conference attendees). If you’d like to participate in Part 3, please submit an extended abstract of 1,500-2,000 words to Johannes Meuer by 14 July 2023. In your abstract, please summarize your study’s topical area, theoretical background, research gap, and question, and include details about the data, analytical strategy (for empirical papers), and preliminary results. Please also indicate your target journal and add a few questions that you would like the reviewers to address. A panel of QCA experts will review all submissions and evaluate their fit with the PDW according to the clarity of purpose, methodological rigor, and innovative character of the research. We will inform you shortly, by 30 July 2023, about your opportunities to participate in Part 3.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
2023-08-21 - 2023-08-25 | Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, Lugano, Ticino, 6900, Switzerland
This workshop provides participants with a thorough introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Since its inception (Ragin 1987), QCA has gained recognition among social scientists as a case-based research method that is ideally suited to capture causal complexity. This essentially describes a situation where an outcome results from multiple pathways and different combinations of conditions. Moreover, QCA entails a rigorous and systematic comparison of selected cases and their configurations through Boolean logic and a software-based analytical protocol. Throughout the workshop, emphasis is placed on research design and practical application so that participants are enabled to work on their own studies.
Throughout the workshop, participants are introduced to the foundations and advanced functions of QCA, while the course structure follows an ideal-typical research process. Starting with empirical illustrations that show how and for what purposes QCA is being used in the social sciences, the workshop proceeds with presenting the method’s core characteristics. This is followed by sessions on causation, causal complexity, and research design to provide a basis for thinking about empirical applications. The ensuing sessions engage with QCA as an analytical approach, starting with set theory and concepts like necessary and sufficient conditions, Boolean algebra, truth tables, and fuzzy sets. In calibrating sets, we look into approaches to transform empirical raw data into crisp and fuzzy sets. Next, the course examines various measures of fit that help in evaluating QCA results. The sessions on set-theoretic analysis put all the elements together and show how empirical data is analysed and interpreted with QCA. During the second half of the workshop, we explore advanced topics, which can be tailored based on participants’ backgrounds and research interests. Potential topics include multi-method research design, QCA variants, robustness tests in QCA, addressing critiques, and recent developments. Participants also have the opportunity to present and discuss their own work within the group. The workshop sessions are complemented by illustrations and exercises from the social sciences, using the R Software environment and relevant R Packages.
27th Summer School in Social Science Methods 10-25 August 2023 | USI

Tübingen Methods Center Fall School, Qualitative Comparative Analysis Workshop
2023-10-12 - 2023-10-13 | University of Tübingen, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, Tübingen, 72074, Germany
Based on formal logic, set theory and Boolean algebra, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a research method used to analyse combinations of conditions which are sufficient and/or necessary for the outcome under study. Developed by the political scientist and sociologist Charles Ragin, QCA focuses holistically on cases as combinations of factors rather than on the relationship between variables (as correlation-based methods such as regression analysis do). While it was developed in a case study tradition where just a small number of cases form the focus of an analysis, it is well suited to analysing large n datasets. Thus, while combining elements from qualitative as well as quantitative research approaches, it is genuinely innovative in transcending the qualitative-quantitative divide.
This workshop provides an introduction to QCA in its crisp, fuzzy and multi-value variants as well as practice sessions on the application of QCA using fsQCA and R software (package QCApro). Researchers are welcome to bring their own data if they wish to analyse them using QCA, but this is no requirement; practice datasets will be provided. No prior knowledge of QCA or any particular software is assumed.
The workshop will be held by Dr Judith Glaesser. She is a research fellow at the Methods Center, Tübingen University: https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/142589

International QCA Paper Development Workshop 2023
2023-12-12 - 2023-12-13
The International QCA Paper Development Workshop (PDW) 2023 provides a unique platform for researchers working on papers involving QCA to meet QCA experts, get feedback on their on-going research and learn about the latest methodological developments in QCA. The workshop is interdisciplinary and interactive and allows for in-depth discussions and individual feedback from internationally-renowned QCA scholars.
The call for papers will be distributed in late-August, along with details regarding registration, etc.

Konstanz Methods Excellence Workshops: Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Online Course)
2024-02-26 - 2024-03-01
This 5-day online course introduces Qualitative Comparative Analysis as an approach that enables researchers to model causal complexity by analyzing whether different configurations of conditions are necessary or sufficient for an outcome together with its technical implementation in R.
What Is This Course About?
This 5-day online course introduces Qualitative Comparative Analysis as an approach and a technique, its main assumptions, its standard procedures and operations, and the technical environment (R software and packages) used for its application. QCA enables researchers to model causal complexity by analyzing whether different configurations of conditions are necessary or sufficient for an outcome, based on a formalized comparison of intermediate to large numbers of cases. Throughout the course, emphasis is put on a thorough understanding of the formal logic of set-theoretic methods and QCA, including topics such as Boolean algebra, causal complexity, sets and their calibration, necessity, and sufficiency. The course also discusses the logic and analysis of truth tables and the most important problems that emerge when this analytical tool is used for exploring social science data. Right from the beginning, participants are exposed to performing set-theoretic analyses with the relevant R software packages using data from published applications in the social sciences.

Konstanz Methods Excellence Workshops: Advanced Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Online Course)
2024-02-26 - 2024-03-01 | Online
This 5-day course exposes participants to advanced methodological developments in Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) that allow for further solidifying their results, and enables them to apply state-of-the-art set-theoretic analytic tools in R.
What Is This Course About?
This 5-day course introduces a series of advanced topics in Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) that aim at further solidifying and deepening the understanding of the application of this method and the results produced by it. As QCA continues to evolve, the course exposes participants to its latest methodological developments and enables them to apply state-of-the-art set-theoretic analytic tools in R. The course starts by expanding on the problem of limited empirical diversity (i.e., when not all the configurations of conditions in the analysis are represented empirically) and discusses potential strategies for making good counterfactuals assumptions (within the so-called Enhanced Standard Analysis). Throughout the rest of the course, we discuss advanced analytic tools that can be used after a QCA result has been obtained. Among these, we look at set-theoretic robustness and sensitivity and introduce a QCA robustness check protocol, we discuss strategies for confronting situations when the data at hand contains clusters that are potentially analytically relevant, we discuss the use of set-theoretic theory-evaluation as a way of assessing theoretical hunches based on the results generated by QCA. Finally, we discuss set-theoretic multi-method research introducing guidelines for combining QCA with process-tracing in single or comparative case studies.

Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) using R
2024-04-18 - 2024-04-20 | Tampere, Finland, Tampere, Finland
This course introduces students to the nuts and bolts of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), an innovative set-theoretic technique that allows for comparisons of small, intermediate or large numbers of cases in order to identify necessary and/or sufficient conditions for an outcome. It is an attractive method for scholars who seek to model causally complex patterns and integrate in-depth case knowledge at all stages of the analysis. We will introduce you to performing QCA with the freely available R software using the user-friendly RStudio environment. We will primarily discuss QCA as a case-oriented approach to small- and intermediate N comparisons. The intensive two-day course has a practical focus and combines theoretical blocks with many hands-on labs entailing exercises and quizzes. We will use real-life data to replicate a published study and discuss examples from the participants’ own research projects in class.

Introduction to Causal Data Analysis and Modeling with Coincidence Analysis
2024-05-20 - 2024-05-23 | Rush University, 600 S. Paulina St., Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
This workshop offers an intensive 4-day introduction to causal modeling with Coincidence Analysis (CNA), a novel configurational comparative method of data analysis geared towards causal complexity, which has seen a considerable uptick in applications in recent years (click here for references). No prior knowledge of CNA is required.
In plenary lectures, the main developer of CNA, Michael Baumgartner, and a team of experienced CNA methodologists and practitioners will guide participants through the nuts and bolts of configurational data analysis as well as cutting-edge methodological innovations. In smaller practice groups, the instructors will demonstrate how to make the most of current software for CNA and offer advice on practical issues, such as getting funded and published with CNA.
From Boolean algebra and the philosophical roots of regularity theories of causation, over the basic ideas behind CNA’s search algorithm, and measures of fit to multi-outcome structures, model ambiguities, and robustness analyses this introduction will enable participants to conduct CNA analyses themselves and review those of other researchers in a sophisticated manner. This will also be an opportunity to get to know researchers working with and on CNA from all over the world.
A tentative program is available here.
RUSH University Medical Center/RUSH, the host for this groundbreaking workshop, is strongly committed to addressing health inequities that affect Chicago’s community, particularly in those neighborhoods surrounding our academic medical center. For this workshop, we will draw from Chicago neighborhood health data to craft practice sessions using real data drawn from health care and community practice to apply a health equity lens to configurational data analysis with CNA. RUSH faculty experienced in health equity and CNA will help to guide these practical sessions.
On the two days after the workshop (May 24-25), there will be a conference on CNA at the same venue in Chicago. Participants of the training workshop will be invited to attend that conference as well. (More information on that conference is available here.) Moreover, the instructors will remain available for consultation after the event to help participants with the methodological and practical aspects of their research projects.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) Workshop at GSERM, St. Gallen
2024-06-10 - 2024-06-14 | GSERM, University of St. Gallen, Tellstrasse 2 9000 St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
The goal of this workshop is to provide a ground-up introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and fuzzy sets. Participants will get intensive instruction and hands-on experience with the fsQCA software package and on completion should be prepared to design and execute research projects using the set-analytic approach.
For further details, please see link below.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): An Introduction (Online 4 Days)
2024-07-01 - 2024-07-04 | Online
This master class is designed for participants who have experience in qualitative or quantitative research and who are interested in applying qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) in their current or future studies.
This course is being offered across 4 evenings online via Zoom. For all information regarding the costs, please visit the website of the Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research (ACSPR).

Course syllabus:

Day 1

6:30-7:00, Introductory session:

Who is who? Why have you chosen this course? What do you expect to get out of it?
What are we going to do over the next two days? What are we not going to do?

7:00-8:00, Epistemological foundations of QCA:

What are the epistemological foundations of QCA?
Where is QCA positioned in relation to case-oriented and variable-oriented research?

8:00-9:30, Exercise

The essence of QCA: logical minimization (and truth tables)
To get an understanding of the very basics of QCA, we will carry out a QCA analysis by hand.
Once we get the basics of QCA, we will explore data with an Excel add-in.

Day 2

6:30-7:00, Conjunctural causation, equifinality, (data) asymmetry

What is conjunctural causation? What is equifinality? What is (data) asymmetry? Where do we see it in the world?
Whether/where do you expect conjunctural causation, equifinality, and/or (data) asymmetry in your field of research?

7:00-8:00, What can QCA be used for?

Data analysis, literature reviews, theory building, case selection, robustness tests

8:00-9:00, Further and future development of QCA as a method

Crisp set (cs) and fuzzy set (fs) QCA
Ongoing critique to QCA as a method

9:00-9:30, Open discussion, recap of the basic terminology and concepts:

Condition, outcome, conjunctural causation, equifinality, asymmetry, necessary condition, sufficient condition, logical minimisation.

Day 3

6:30-8:00, What ahve we learned so far?

Exploring more datasets using the Excel add-in.

8:00-8:30, How easy is it to use QCA?

Jeroen’s experiences with using QCA in small and multi-year research projects.

8:30-9:30, The most common challenges when applying QCA (and how to deal with them)

Is the number of cases you have all that matters?
How many conditions can be included in the theoretical model?
What is limited diversity and what to do about it?

Day 4

6:30-7.30, Step 4: Calibration of Data

What is data calibration? Why is it so important (and often time consuming) in QCA?
How to Calibrate your data (for csQCA and fsQCA).

7:30-8:00, Open discussion, calibrating your own data

What challenges do you expect to encounter in callibrating your own data?

8:30-9:30, Important research design choices

Good practice to follow (a guideline)
Open discussion: where, why and how do you want to use QCA in your (future) research?
What are your hopes and concerns in applying QCA?

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): A set-analytic approach to studying organizational configurations
2024-07-08 - 2024-07-11 | Online
This 3-day introduces you to the nuts and bolts of QCA. It is structured in six sessions (each ½ day) covering the history of QCA, the logic of case selection and research designs, small-N QCA, large-N QCA, configurational research in management, and advanced topics in QCA. Throughout the course, we will also explore opportunities for you to use QCA for your own research. After the course, you should be familiar with the history of QCA and current advanced topics in QCA, understand the logic of set-analytic methods, and develop a configurational research design for your own research field.
Lecturer: Johannes Meuer (Kühne Logistics Universit)

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): An Application in 10 Steps (Online 4 Days)
2024-07-09 - 2024-07-12 | Online
This master class is designed for participants who are familiar with the basics of QCA. Participants without any QCA experience or previous formal QCA training first complete the master-class, “Qualitative Comparative Analysis: An introduction” (July 1-4, online).
The master class is a mix of lectures and exercises—the emphasis is on lectures, however (one of the challenges of QCA is that its iterative nature asks for much upfront “explaining” of later steps before early steps can be undertaken). By the end of this master class you will be able to carry out a full QCA application (both crisp set and fuzzy set). In class, we will mainly use crisp set QCA examples (they are easier for teaching purposes), but as will become clear in the class: crisp set (csQCA) is a specific application of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).
If you already have QCA-ready data, or data that you hope can be transformed to be QCA-ready, then please make sure to have it handy for the master class.
This course is being offered across 4 evenings online via Zoom.
The Course will run from 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm on Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC +10) (ie Canberra, Sydney Melbourne, Brisbane time)
Course syllabus:

Day 1

6:30-7:00, Introductory session:

Who is who? Why have you chosen this course? What do you expect to get out it?
What are we going to do over the next two days? What are we not going to do?

7:00-8:00, The first 4 steps:

Step 1: Explaining the theoretical motivations for choosing QCA for your project
Step 2: Selection of outcomes and conditions
Step 3: Explaining the limitations that come with the number of conditions chosen
Step 4: Calibration of data (for csQCA and fsQCA)
Note: these four steps are extensively covered in the master class Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): An introduction

8:00-8:30, Step 5: From data to raw data matrix

What is the raw data matrix used for?
How to calibrate your data?

8:30-9:30, Reflection on necessary, sufficient, INUS and SUIN conditions

What do all these terms mean?
How do you think necessary, sufficient, INUS and SUIN conditions will play out in your work?

Day 2

6:30-8:00, Step 6: Analysis of necessary conditions

What is the aim of the analysis of necessary conditions?
Exercise: analysis of necessary conditions in fs/QCA 3.0 (Windows and Mac software)
Interpretation of findings (consistency, coverage, trivial necessary conditions)

8:00-9:30, Step 7: Analysis of sufficient conditions – truth table

What is a truth table?
Exercise: create a truth table in fs/QCA 3.0 (Windows and Mac software)
Dealing with conflicts
Dealing with logical remainders

Day 3

6:30-8:00, Step 8: Analysis of sufficient conditions – choice of solution term

What is the aim of the analysis of sufficient conditions?
Complex solution, intermediate solution, parsimonious solution
Exercise: analysis of sufficient conditions in fs/QCA 3.0 (Windows and Mac software)
Interpretation of findings (consistency, coverage, trivial necessary conditions)

8:00-9:30, recap of steps 6, 7 and 8

Apply steps 6, 7 and 8 to your own data (or additional data provided by Jeroen)

Day 4

6:30-7:00, Step 9: Presentation of results

Exploring different ways to present findings

7:00-8:00, Step 10: Testing robustness and interpretation of results

Some thoughts on assessing the robustness of your QCA results

8:00-9:30, Final open discussion about applying QCA in your own work

"Intro to Qualitative Comparative Analysis", 5-day remote workshop
2024-07-22 - 2024-07-26 | Online
• Covers the entire standard QCA workflow: choice of conditions; calibration; analysis of necessity; truth table building and processing; minimization and result interpretation; robustness assessment
• We reproduce a published QCA study to go through each of these steps
• Fully guided introduction to QCA research using RStudio (no prior knowlede required)
• 5 days, 5 hours each day: July 22-26, 2024
• Fully remote: Live seminar + recordings of sessions for asynchronous participation
• I am available for any questions on QCA, RStudio or your own empirical projects during and after the seminar

Workshop plan: https://ingorohlfing.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/icpsr-2024-qca-topical-workshop-rohlfing-2.pdf
More information + registration: https://web.cvent.com/event/6a962cf4-05e7-45fb-8f6f-eafe8c67ce53/websitePage:17e8f24b-550c-4a09-a091-06ccd6f667d5 (use my name or the course title to access the course information)

28th Summer School in Social Science Methods: Qualitative Comparative Analysis: Research Design and Application
2024-08-19 - 2024-08-23 | Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano West Campus, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, Lugano, CH-6900, Switzerland
This workshop provides participants with a thorough introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Since its inception (Ragin 1987), QCA has gained recognition among social scientists as a case-based research method that is ideally suited to capture causal complexity. This essentially describes a situation where an outcome results from multiple pathways and different combinations of conditions. Moreover, QCA entails a rigorous and systematic comparison of selected cases and their configurations through Boolean logic and a software-based analytical protocol. Throughout the workshop, emphasis is placed on research design and practical application, so that participants are enabled to successfully apply QCA in their own studies.
Throughout the workshop, participants are introduced to the foundations and advanced functions of QCA, while the course structure follows an ideal-typical research process. Starting with empirical illustrations that show how and for what purposes QCA is being used in the social sciences, the workshop proceeds with presenting the method’s core characteristics. This is followed by sessions on causation, causal complexity, and research design, to provide a basis for thinking about empirical applications. The ensuing sessions engage with QCA as an analytical approach, starting with set theory and concepts like necessary and sufficient conditions, Boolean algebra, truth tables, and fuzzy sets. In calibrating sets, we look into approaches to transform empirical raw data into crisp and fuzzy sets. Next, the course examines various measures of fit that help in evaluating QCA results. The sessions on set-theoretic analysis put all the elements together and show how empirical data is analyzed and interpreted with QCA. During the second half of the workshop we explore advanced topics, which can be tailored based on participants’ background and research interests. Potential topics include multi-method research design, QCA variants, robustness tests in QCA, addressing critiques, and recent developments. Participants also have the opportunity to present and discuss their own work within the group. The workshop sessions are complemented by illustrations and exercises from the social sciences, using the R Software environment and relevant R Packages.
The workshop includes dedicated timeslots for individual consultation with the lecturer, group discussions, and networking opportunities.

European QCA Conference: Paper Development Workshop
2024-12-10 - 2024-12-11 | Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
The Paper Development Workshop at the European QCA Conference 2024 provides a unique platform for QCA researchers to get feedback on their QCA papers and to meet QCA experts.
The organizers invite submission from researchers using QCA for the first time or who are at a mid or advanced stage of applying QCA. It is open to researchers working in various domains, including (but not limited to) social sciences, economics, humanities, psychology, law, policy studies, business studies, medicine and health.
The Workshop will take place on Tuesday December 10 and Wednesday December 11 at Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
For additional information, please see the Call for Papers: PDW call for abstracts

Konstanz Methods Excellence Workshops (KOMEX): Basic Introduction to R for Beginners (online)
2025-02-13 - 2025-02-14 | Online
In early February 2024, komex offers the course Microcredential ekomex A Basic Introduction to R for Beginners.
This 2-day virtual course introduces the open-source statistical software R for beginners. It is designed for students without prior experience of R/RStudio. It teaches the basics of R and RStudio, namely, how to perform basic descriptive statistics and create visualizations in R (e.g., histograms, scatterplots, etc.). The course will also cover basic data management with R.
This course could be a good starting point for QCA ethusiasts, wishing to start using R for their analyses.
komex combines cutting-edge, inclusive, and affordable methodological training in both qualitative and quantitative research design and techniques, together with feedback and discussion of the methodological aspects of your own research project and those of other participants. Participation in a workshop will provide you with guidance for how to design your research and/or how to use a method in practice in relation to your research question.
The courses are aimed at Ph.D. scholars and junior researchers. Class sizes are kept small in the workshops.
In collaboration with MethodsNET, komex draws on local expertise to provide world-class PhD-level methods training at affordable prices.

Konstanz Methods Excellence Workshops (KOMEX): Advanced QCA (with R) course (online)
2025-02-17 - 2025-02-21 | Online
In February 2024, Komex offers the course Microcredential ekomex Advanced Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). This 5-day online course exposes participants to advanced methodological developments in Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) that allow for further solidifying their results, and enables them to apply state-of-the-art set-theoretic analytic tools in R.
komex combines cutting-edge, inclusive, and affordable methodological training in both qualitative and quantitative research design and techniques, together with feedback and discussion of the methodological aspects of your own research project and those of other participants. Participation in a workshop will provide you with guidance for how to design your research and/or how to use a method in practice in relation to your research question.
The courses are aimed at Ph.D. scholars and junior researchers. Class sizes are kept small in the workshops.
In collaboration with MethodsNET, komex draws on local expertise to provide world-class PhD-level methods training at affordable prices.

Konstanz Methods Excellence Workshops (KOMEX): Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) using R (On-Site course)
2025-02-17 - 2025-02-21 | University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
This five-day in-person course introduces you to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), an innovative set-theoretic technique that allows for comparisons of small, intermediate or large numbers of cases in order to identify necessary and / or sufficient conditions for an outcome, model causal complexity, and integrate in-depth case knowledge at all stages of the analysis. The intensive course has a practical focus and combines theoretical blocks with hands-on exercises. We will use real-world data to replicate a published study with the freely available R software, and discuss examples from the participants’ own research projects in class.
Intructor: Eva Thomann, University of Konstanz, Germany

Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (online)
2025-03-24 - 2025-03-28 | Online
This course, hosted by “The European Consortium For Political Research”, will provide you with an interactive online learning environment using advanced pedagogical tools, and is specifically designed for masters level students and above. The course is limited to a maximum of 16 participants, ensuring that the teaching team can address the unique needs of each individual.
Purpose of the course
Upon completion of this course, you will have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of qualitative comparative analysis and how to apply it to a research project within your area of study. This knowledge and practical experience will equip you with valuable skills for conducting in-depth research and analysis in your field.
ECTS Credits
3 ECTS credits awarded for engaging fully in class activities.
1 additional ECTS credit awarded for completing a post-course assignment.

4th Annual QCA Conference of the Americas
2025-04-02 - 2025-04-04 | Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, United States
The QCA Conference of the Americas (AQCA) provides a venue for the broad, cross-disciplinary community of researchers and practitioners working with configurational-comparative methods and approaches to gather together to present and receive feedback on current research projects, share theoretical and methodological developments, and discuss new directions in configurational-comparative research practices. Bringing together the diverse set of QCA empirical and methodological researchers, AQCA offers a supportive environment for the community to meet, engage in dialogue, network, learn, and collectively move forward on advancing the configurational-comparative perspective.

Introduction to Causal Data Analysis & Modeling with Coincidence Analysis
2025-05-19 - 2025-05-22 | The National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA), Copenhagen, Denmark
This workshop offers an intensive 4-day introduction to causal modeling with Coincidence Analysis (CNA), a novel configurational comparative method of data analysis geared towards causal complexity, which has seen a considerable uptick in applications in recent years (click here for references). No prior knowledge of CNA is required.
For further details, please see link below.

Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (GSERM)
2025-06-09 - 2025-06-13 | GSERM, University of St. Gallen, Tellstrasse 2 9000 St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is a research approach consisting of both an analytical technique and a conceptual perspective for researchers interested in studying configurational phenomena. QCA is particularly appropriate for the analysis of causally complex phenomena marked by multiple, conjunctural causation where multiple causes combine to bring about outcomes in complex ways.
QCA was developed in the 1980s by Charles Ragin, a sociologist and political scientist, as an alternative comparative approach that lies midway between the primarily qualitative, case-oriented approach and the primarily quantitative, variable-oriented approach, with the goal of bridging both by combining their advantages and tackling situations where causality is complex and conjunctural. QCA uses Boolean algebra for the analysis of set relations and allows researchers to formally analyze patterns of necessity and sufficiency regarding outcomes of interest. Since its inception, QCA has developed into a broad set of techniques that share their set-analytic nature and include both descriptive and inferential techniques.
Many researchers have drawn on QCA because it offers a means to systematically analyze data sets with relatively few observations. In fact, QCA was originally developed for small- to medium-N situations with between 10 and 50 cases. In such situations there are frequently too many cases to pursue a classical qualitative approach but too few cases for conventional statistical analysis. However, more recently, researchers have also applied QCA to medium- and large-N situations marked by hundreds of thousands of cases. While these applications require some changes to how QCA is applied, they retain many advantages for analyzing situations that are configurational in nature and marked by causal complexity.
The goal of this workshop is to provide a ground-up introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and fuzzy sets. Participants will get intensive instruction in the method as well as hands-on experience with the fsQCA software package. On completion of the course, participants should be prepared to design and execute research projects using the set-analytic approach.
Specifically, after successful completion of you should be able to:

understand the goals, assumptions, and key concepts of QCA
conduct data analysis using the fsQCA software package
design and execute research projects using a set-analytic approach
apply advanced forms of set-analytic investigation

I would like this workshop to be as useful to you as possible. To get the most out of this workshop, you would ideally already be working on an empirical project that might be aided by taking a configurational approach, but that is not essential. Over the course of this workshop, I hope you will be thinking about how you can apply these methods to your research, and I will do my best to be of assistance.

MethodsNET Summer School with CEU: Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
2025-07-07 - 2025-07-11 | Central European University, Vienna, Austria
As part of a rich case-based and comparative methods course program at its Summer School hosted by the Central European University in beautiful Vienna, MethodsNET offers the course Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), taught by Nena Oana. This 5-day intensive in person course introduces Qualitative Comparative Analysis as an approach and a technique, its main assumptions, its standard procedures and operations, and the technical environment (R software and packages) used for its application. QCA enables researchers to model causal complexity by analyzing whether different configurations of conditions are necessary or sufficient for an outcome, based on a formalized comparison of intermediate to large numbers of cases. Throughout the course, emphasis is put on a thorough understanding of the formal logic of set-theoretic methods and QCA, including topics such as Boolean algebra, causal complexity, sets and their calibration, necessity, and sufficiency. The course also discusses the logic and analysis of truth tables and the most important problems that emerge when this analytical tool is used for exploring social science data. Right from the beginning, participants are exposed to performing set-theoretic analyses with the relevant R software packages using data from published applications in the social sciences. Full course details here.
The MethodsNET Summer School (30+ courses offered) stands for top-pedagogy hands-on methods training, while staying affordable. The weekly course fee also gives access to a free plenary program of cross-cutting short courses. Beyond the course, MethodsNET membership also provides access to the multimedia digital ‘MethodsNET Communities’, in particular the ‘Case-based and comparative approaches’ Community that enables users and experts to communicate and collaborate.
