COMPASSS

Qualitative Comparative Analysis at AQCA2023
2023-03-15 10:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | USC Marshall School of Business, 3670 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, United States
A one-day hybrid workshop that provides a ground-up introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and fuzzy sets. Designed for those who are new to QCA or wish to refresh their knowledge, participants will receive intensive instruction and hands-on experience with QCA software. By the end of the workshop, you will be able to begin designing and executing research projects using the set-analytic approach. Lunch is included. Access to the workshop is included in the AQCA registration fee.

Second Annual QCA Conference of the Americas (AQCA2023)
2023-03-15 - 2023-03-17 | USC Marshall School of Business, 3670 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, United States
AQCA is a broad-tent, inclusive, and diverse venue that is open to everyone interested in learning about and advancing the configurational-comparative agenda. We welcome contributions from all theoretical traditions and fields and encourage theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions that aim to capture configurational and causally complex phenomena. We are especially interested in empirical applications of QCA from applied researchers and scholars working outside of the traditional QCA strongholds of sociology, political science, and management, including but not limited to fields such as anthropology, education, environmental studies, information systems, medicine, health policy, policy monitoring and evaluation, tourism, and others.
AQCA is a face-to-face conference with hybrid elements allowing remote audience participation. While we ask presenters to attend in person, the keynotes, paper presentations, and panel discussions will be live streamed with remote attendees able to participate in the Q&A. Afternoon roundtables and workshop discussions will focus on in-person participants to facilitate engagement and community building.

Introduction to Causal Process Tracing
2023-03-06 - 2023-03-10 | Online
Process tracing is a research method for tracing causal mechanisms using detailed, within-case empirical analysis of how a causal process plays out in an actual case. This five-day online course provides participants with a working understanding of the core elements of process tracing (PT) as a robust case study method, enabling them to utilize it in their own research – either alone or in combination with other methods. The course will discuss PT’s relative strengths and limitations, different variants, and how it can be combined productively with other methods in multi-method designs such as experiments or small/medium-n comparisons. The core elements of PT will be introduced, focusing on what we are actually “tracing” using PT (the causal process), how we are able to make evidence-based causal inferences using within-case, mechanistic evidence, and how we can combine within-case and cross-case knowledge.

Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
2023-03-06 - 2023-03-10 | Online
Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a set-theoretic technique for comparing intermediate to large numbers of cases that models causal complexity to analyze necessary or sufficient conditions for an outcome. This five-day online course introduces QCA as an approach and a technique, its main assumptions, its standard procedures and operations, and the technical environment used for its application. Participants gain 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 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.

Comparative Case Study Design
2023-03-06 - 2023-03-10 | University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
A solid foundation in comparative case studies is essential for comparative social scientists. This five-day in-person course provides you with the skills needed to design your qualitative comparative case study research, based on your own and/or other applied research projects. The course covers the topics of causal complexity, concept formation, casing and case selection, logics and strategies of comparison, accounting for context and time, choosing data collection and analysis strategies, as well as conceptual and research-practical issues when drawing inferences in case-oriented research.

International QCA Paper Development Workshop (PDW) 2022
2022-12-13 - 2022-12-14 | ETH Zürich, Rämistrasse 101, Zurich, Switzerland
The International QCA Paper Development Workshop (PDW) 2022 provides a unique platform for researchers working on papers involving QCA to meet QCA experts, get feedback on their ongoing 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.
For complete details and the call for abstracts, please visit https://compasss.org/intlqca/abstract_2022/

NCA-guided QCA
2022-10-04 12:00 - 13:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, Rotterdam, PA, 3062, Netherlands
Scholars frequently understand causation in terms of necessity and sufficiency. However, the ontological relationship between necessary and sufficient conditions has not been fully explored. We argue that sufficiency can only be correctly understood by taking necessity into context and develop a corresponding methodology. NCA-guided QCA integrates Necessary Condition Analysis (Dul 2016, 2020) and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Ragin 1987, 2008), by using the results of the former to properly contextualize the latter’s sufficiency analysis to those observations where the outcome is possible. This methodology resolves outstanding questions regarding the relationship between necessary and sufficient conditions, allowing researchers to make stronger causal claims.
This will be a hybrid event. Zoom connection information and complete details are available at the seminar’s webpage.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis: An Introduction to Research Design and Application
2022-08-22 - 2022-08-28 | Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900, Switzerland
This intensive 5-day workshop gives a thorough introduction to the foundations and advanced functions of QCA, placing emphasis on research design and empirical application. The course is based on Patrick Mello’s Qualitative Comparative Analysis: An Introduction to Research Design and Application (Georgetown University Press 2021). The workshop sessions are complemented by illustrations and exercises, using the R Software environment and relevant R packages. The intensive full-day format (7-8 teaching hours per day) in a small group setting provides a friendly environment for step-by-step learning, practicing with the R software, discussing research design, and gaining advice on individual projects during consultations with the instructor. The workshop is part of the 26th Summer School in Social Science Methods organized by the Swiss Foundation for Social Science Research (FORS) and the Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI). The school takes place at USI in beautiful Lugano, Switzerland, with plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation after class.
Registration is available here: Registration | USI

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): A Set-Analytic Approach to Studying Configurations (2022 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management)
2022-08-07 08:00 - 10:30 (America/Chicago) | Seattle Convention Center, 705 Pike Street, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
The PDW includes 3 Parts, all will be organized in a Hybrid Interactive Session with opportunities for on-site participants in Seattle (Seattle Convention Center, Tahoma 3 – The Conference Center- Level 3) as well as online participants via Zoom. Participants who wish to receive a list of recommended pre-readings and resources may contact Johannes Meuer (johannes.meuer@the-klu.org) before the meeting. Participation in this PDW is open to all conference attendees and requires no registration (except for Part 3).
Part 1 serves management researchers and practitioners with no or only little knowledge of, and experience with, QCA who want to learn the basic “nuts and bolts” of QCA and configurational logic and understand if this might be the right tool for their research project. Part 2 serves more advanced management researchers and practitioners interested in current methodological issues and advances in QCA. Part 3 serves all participants who seek to discuss their ongoing QCA research with other participants and the PDW organizers. To participate in Part 3, please submit an extended abstract of 1,500-2,000 words to Johannes.meuer@the-klu.org by 16 July 2022. Your abstract should 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 clarity of purpose, methodological rigor, and innovative character of the research. We will let you know shortly after 16 July 2022 about your opportunities to participate in Part 3. Access to the workshop is included with registration to the AOM conference.
Conveners & Facilitators:

Ruth Aguilera, Northeastern University.
Joanna T. Campbell, University of Cincinnati.
Donal Crilly, London Business School.
Peer C. Fiss, University of Southern California.
Santi Furnari, City University London.
Thomas Greckhamer, Louisiana State University.
Rodney Lacey, Arizona State University.
Johannes Meuer, KLU Hamburg.
Vilmos F. Misangyi, The Pennsylvania State University.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): A set-analytic approach to studying organizational configurations
2022-06-30 - 2022-07-05 | Online
This 3-day online PhD course is part of the ERIM Summer School of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. The course introduces you to the nuts and bolts of QCA. It is structured in six sessions (each ½ days) covering the history of QCA, the logics 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.

Summer School in Social Research Methods: Advanced Applied Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
2022-06-27 - 2022-07-01 | Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, Nijmegen, 6525 XZ, Netherlands
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.

Summer School in Social Research Methods: Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
2022-06-20 - 2022-06-24 | Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, Nijmegen, 6525 XZ, Netherlands
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 five-day course has a practical focus and combines theoretical blocks with many hands-on exercises and quizes. We will use real-life data to replicate a published study and discuss examples from the participants’ own research projects in class. The course covers the following topics:

QCA: Origin, variants, uses and approaches
Set theory and causal complexity
Defining, structuring, measuring and calibrating concepts as sets
Analyses of necessity and sufficiency
Truth tables, limited diversity and counterfactual reasoning
Conservative, intermediate and parsimonious solution types
Set-theoretic multi-method research
Potential pitfalls (skewed data, model ambiguities)

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.

Summer School in Social Research Methods: Comparative Research Designs
2022-06-20 - 2022-06-24 | 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). Steps (1) and (2) will be examined in greater detail.
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.

Current Issues in Coincidence Analysis
2022-06-03 - 2022-06-04 | University of Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
CNA is a relatively new configurational comparative method of data analysis geared towards causal complexity, which has seen a considerable uptick in applications in recent years. This conference provides a platform for exchange between CNA methodologists and applied researchers. The newest methodological developments and open questions will be presented alongside exemplary applications from public health, surgical research, social and political science.

Introduction to Causal Data Analysis and Modeling with Coincidence Analysis
2022-05-30 - 2022-06-02 | University of Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
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. 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.
After the workshop, the instructors will remain available for consultation to help participants with the methodological and practical aspects of their research projects.
Registration is now open here. There will be a course fee of NOK 5400, which is approximately €540 or $610. In light of current Covid uncertainties, registration does not require payment at this time. Once we see that the course can be held as planned, we will send out payment links to all registered. We have space for a maximum of 50 participants. There will be a waiting list, once the 50 slots are reserved. For questions, please, write to michael.baumgartner@uib.no.

Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Southwestern Social Science Association 2022)
2022-04-22 14:30 - 15:45 (America/Chicago) | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1109B, Amsterdam, North Holland, 1081, Netherlands
Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) uses Boolean algebra to offer an alternative to conventional statistical techniques for analyzing empirical data. While large-N representative applications of QCA are increasingly popular, QCA is especially useful for identifying and understanding cross-case patterns in small- and medium-N projects with data collected using qualitative and/or mixed methods. Fundamentally a pattern-matching technique designed for exploring the differences and diversity within one’s data, QCA may be used for uncovering empirical taxonomies, analyzing the effects of context, and identifying combinations of conditions that are necessary and/or sufficient for the occurrence (or prevention) of an outcome.
Although first developed for social and policy research during the late-1980s and 1990s, QCA is discipline-agnostic and has been successfully applied to research in such diverse areas as business management, comparative history, education, environmental studies, health services, legal studies, narrative analysis, organizational studies, policy evaluation, psychology, public health, and medicine. This workshop will provide an introduction to QCA, discussing the questions it is designed to answer, the type of data it uses, the basic steps involved in performing QCA, and how to interpret results. Software for conducting QCA and resources for further study will also be reviewed. By the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to assess whether or not QCA would be helpful for their next research project. Access to the workshop is included with registration to the conference.

Introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (AQCA: QCA Conference of the Americas)
2022-04-06 10:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | University of Houston-Downtown, 1 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002, United States
This one-day hybrid workshop provides a ground-up introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and fuzzy sets. Designed for those who are new to QCA or wish to refresh their knowledge, participants will receive intensive instruction and hands-on experience with the fs/QCA software package. The goal of the workshop is to enable you to begin designing and executing research projects using the set-analytic approach. Lunch is included. Access to the workshop is included with registration to the AQCA conference.

1st Annual QCA Conference of the Americas (AQCA2022)
2022-04-06 - 2022-04-08 | University of Houston-Downtown, 1 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002, 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.
Reflecting the diversity of the QCA community and to encourage broad participation, AQCA2022 is an in-person conference with hybrid elements. Please visit the AQCA website at https://compasss.org/aqca/ for complete details and to review the call for abstracts. You may contact the conference organizers at aqca@compasss.org. Registration opens on January 15, 2022; abstracts are due January 31.

Konstanz Methods Excellence Workshops: Comparative Case Study Design
2022-03-14 - 2022-03-18 | University of Konstanz, Universitaetsstrasse 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
Course Description

This five-day, in-person main course provides you with the skills needed to design your qualitative comparative case study research, based on your own and/or other applied research projects. The course covers the topics of causal complexity, concept formation, casing and case selection, logics and strategies of comparison, accounting for context and time, choosing data collection and analysis strategies, as well as conceptual and research-practical issues when drawing inferences in case-oriented research. Note: While the organizers intend to hold the in-person courses on site, they stand ready to switch to on-line provision of these courses if the corona rules do not allow for presence teaching.
Course Structure

09.00-10.30h: Lecture
10.45-12.15h: Lab / group work
13.30-14.30h: Office hour / independent work (reading, exercises)

Examination

4/5 daily tasks
a take-home paper (written research design)

Konstanz Methods Excellence Workshops: Qualitative Comparative Analysis
2022-03-14 - 2022-03-18 | Online
Course Description
This virtual main course, designed using an innovative pedagogical combination of asynchronous and synchronous on-line elements, introduces you to the nuts and bolts of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). QCA is 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. We will use real-world data to replicate a published study, work with examples from the participants’ own research projects, and introduce you to performing QCA with the freely available R software.
Course Structure

Mornings: 90’ of prerecorded lectures, quizzes, and other learning materials for independent consumption
13.30-14.30h: Office hour / independent work (reading, exercises)
15.30-17.00h: Live online session (group exercises, R lab, Q&A)

Introduction to R
If you are new to R, it is recommended that you take the introductory course for R beginners with Prof. Thomann on March 10 & 11. This course is only available to participants of one of the main Komex courses. For details, see https://afww.uni-konstanz.de/en/ekomex-basic-introduction-r-beginners

International Winter School on Public Policy (ALPS Edition 2022) - Qualitative Comparative Analysis
2022-01-31 - 2022-02-04 | Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, Lugano, Ticino, 6900, Switzerland
Program Description
The winter school aims at providing the opportunity for Ph.D. students and early career researchers to advance their knowledge on Public Policy theories, concepts and, methodologies. Students will take part in workshops where they will be able to discuss their research projects and receive feedback from both their peers and acclaimed scholars of public policy.
In the course of 5 days, selected Ph.D. students or young scholars will have the opportunity to attend the following activities:
Four hours of lectures from 4 different International scholars on specific public policy approaches, concepts, and theories
10 hours of course by an International scholar on a particular issue. This is a hybrid course. Each group will be composed of a maximum of 10 students on-site and 5-10 online, in order to comply with the recommended physical distance between the participants
12 hours of workshop sessions together with your group, giving the students the option to present their work to the group, and have their topic being discussed by their peers and the professors. Each project will be discussed for 45 minutes to 1h.
Course Description
Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a set-theoretic method for identifying necessary and/or sufficient conditions for outcomes which is increasingly used in comparative policy analysis. Its core advantages lie in modelling causal complexity and enabling systematic comparisons to identify regularities, while integrating case knowledge at all levels of analysis. This course introduces participants to the nuts and bolts of QCA and its implementation using the most powerful currently available software in R. Apart from basic knowledge of empirical social research design and methodology, no particular pre-existing knowledge is required.

The quantification of qualitative data (Part of the discussion series "the practice of mixed methods and mixed data research")
2022-01-14 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Amsterdam) | Online
How can we perform a meaningful quantification of qualitative data, for instance through calibration? The session “The quantification of qualitative data” will try to answer to these and other questions as part of the discussion series “The practice of mixed methods and mixed data research” (link: https://ias.uva.nl/content/events/events/2021/12/03.12.2021-the-practice-of-mixed-methods-and-mixed-data-research.html?origin=5stlxoO%2BSgu6vwzHnf7uPg), hosted at the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) at the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands).
To join, please register to the session through this link: https://ias.uva.nl/content/events/events/2022/01/14.01.2022-the-quantification-of-qualitative-data.html

5th International QCA Paper Development Workshop
2021-12-13 - 2021-12-14 | Seattle Convention Center, 705 Pike Street, Seattle, WA, 98101, United States
The International QCA Paper Development Workshop 2021 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. This year the International QCA Paper Development Workshop 2021 will take place on 13th December 2021. As this year’s edition will be a hybrid event, the workshop might also include 14th December. Please book both days; more information will be shared in due time.
Preliminary Workshop Program
The International QCA Paper Development Workshop primarily consists of roundtable forums for participants to receive detailed feedback from QCA experts on their ongoing research projects. The workshop program will also include group discussions (providing participants with practical information on key topics related to their
own research (e.g. case and model selection, calibration, specific issues in small-n or large-n QCA) and a panel session. We are also working to organize opportunities for interactions between participants and faculty beyond the scheduled sessions. The workshop will take place as a hybrid event that is bringing together online participants with on-site participants. We will carefully follow the development of the global COVID-19 pandemic and adjust the program accordingly.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Fuzzy Sets
2021-08-30 09:00 - 2021-09-10 15:00 (America/Mexico_City) | Online
This course introduces participants to set-theoretic methods and their application in the social sciences with a focus on Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The course starts out by familiarizing students with the basic concepts of the underlying methodological perspective, among them the central notions of necessity and sufficiency, formal logic and Boolean algebra. From there, we move to the logic and analysis of truth tables and discuss the most important problems that emerge when this analytical tool is used for exploring social science data. Right from the beginning, students will be exposed to performing set-theoretic analyses with the relevant R software packages. When discussing set-theoretic methods, in-class debates will engage on broad, general comparative social research issues, such as case selection principles, concept formation, questions of data aggregation and the treatment of causally relevant notions of time. Examples are drawn from published applications in the social sciences. Participants are encouraged to bring their own raw data for in-class exercises and assignments, if available.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis: Research Design and Application (25th Summer School in Social Science Methods)
2021-08-23 - 2021-08-27 | Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900, Switzerland
Workshop contents and objectives
This workshop gives a thorough introduction to the method of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), with an emphasis on research design and practical application. 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 this workshop, participants will be introduced to the building blocks of QCA, while the course structure follows an ideal-typical research process. The introduction opens with empirical illustrations to show how and for what purposes QCA is being used, before summarizing the method’s key characteristics. This is followed by sessions on causation, causal complexity, and research design, to provide a foundation for thinking about empirical applications. The ensuing sessions engage with the use of 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 session on set-theoretic analysis puts all of the elements together and shows how empirical data is analyzed and interpreted with QCA. Finally, the workshop closes with sessions on advanced topics, which can be tailored based on participants’ background and research interests. Potential topics include multi-method research design, QCA variants, addressing critiques, and recent developments.
The workshop sessions are complemented by illustrations and exercises, using the R Software environment and relevant R Packages. Reading material from the QCA textbook (Mello, forthcoming) will be made available to the course participants.
Requirements
Course participants are not expected to have any previous knowledge of QCA or the R software environment and its relevant packages. Participants will receive preparatory instructions ahead of the summer school, so that they can install the relevant software and familiarize themselves with the environment of R and RStudio.

Coincidence Analysis (CNA) in Health Services Research
2021-08-03 - 2021-08-05 | Online
Hosted by Regenstrief Institute, this intensive course offers health researchers a tailored approach to applying Coincidence Analysis (CNA).
Part I of the Beginners-level Course on CNA begins with an intensive 3-day exploration of configurational comparative methods with a focus on Coincidence Analysis (CNA). Michael Baumgartner will guide participants through the the philosophical roots of regularity theories of causation, search strategies, optimization algorithms, and measures of fit. Following this 3-day workshop, the instructors will remain available for discussion to help participants with the methodological aspects of their research projects.
Part II of the Beginners-level Course on CNA follows the 3-day workshop and will be led by Deborah Cragun and Edward Miech. Part II is a three-session online practicum that will start in August 2021 and is designed to help participants develop the skill and confidence needed to apply these concepts learned in Part I to their own research. Part II will take place in small groups of approximately 10 to 15 participants: the same small group will meet for one hour per week for a total of three sessions. The practicum sessions will be offered at a variety of dates/times during the last three weeks of August 2021 to accommodate different time zones.
Note: Sold out.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA): A set-analytic approach to studying organizational configurations
2021-06-21 - 2021-06-25 | Erasmus Research Institute of Management, Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, Rotterdam, 3062 PA, Netherlands
This 3-day introduces you to the nuts and bolts of QCA. It is structured in six session (each ½ days) covering the history of QCA, the logics 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.

ECPR Winter School: Advanced Qualitative Comparative Analysis
2021-03-22 14:30 - 2021-03-26 17:00 (Europe/London) | Online
This course will deepen your understanding of the potentials and pitfalls of set-theoretic methods. The skills you gain will enable you to be more critical and assertive if and when you choose or reject set-theoretic methods as the most appropriate research method for your research project.
By the end of this course, you will be able to produce QCA studies of a quality and level of sophistication beyond the current mainstream and thus yield substantive results that are more compelling for you and for your (critical) audience.
We will try and address all the following topics but, depending on participants’ needs and interests, we can put more emphasis on some:

Set-theoretic multi-method research (SMMR)
Set-theoretic robustness and sensitivity
Set-theoretic theory evaluation
Enhanced Standard Analysis
Data structures and set-theoretic methods, including temporal ordering and two-step QCA
Model ambiguity
Multi-value QCA

This course provides a highly interactive online teaching and learning environment, using state of the art online pedagogical tools. It is designed for a demanding audience (researchers, professional analysts, advanced students) and capped at a maximum of 16 participants so that the teaching team (the Instructor plus one highly qualified Teaching Assistant) can cater to the specific needs of each individual.

ECPR Winter School: Qualitative Comparative Analysis
2021-03-15 14:30 - 2021-03-19 17:00 (Europe/London) | Online
This course introduces you to Qualitative Comparative Analysis and fuzzy sets, and their application in the social sciences, using the R software environment.
It starts out by familiarising you with the basic concepts of the underlying methodological perspective, including formal logic, Boolean algebra, causal complexity, and calibration. From there, we move to the central notions of necessity and sufficiency, and discuss ways to analyse these using parameters of fit and visualisation techniques.
The core of the course focuses on the logic and analysis of truth tables and discusses the most important problems that emerge when this analytical tool is used for exploring social science data.
Right from the beginning, you will perform set-theoretic analyses with the relevant R software packages. When discussing set-theoretic methods, our debates will engage on broad, general comparative social research issues, such as case selection principles, concept formation, questions of data aggregation, and the treatment of causally relevant notions of time.
The use of QCA will be practiced based on data from published applications in the social sciences.
This course provides a highly interactive online teaching and learning environment, using state of the art online pedagogical tools. It is designed for a demanding audience (researchers, professional analysts, advanced students) and capped at a maximum of 16 participants so that the teaching team (the Instructor plus one highly qualified Teaching Assistant) can cater to the specific needs of each individual.
Prerequisite Knowledge
You don’t need any prior knowledge of QCA or the R software environment and the package relevant for set-theoretic methods. However, you would profit from prior empirical-comparative training (such as the Comparative Research Designs course on that same week, A:M) and we strongly encourage advance familiarisation with the basic principles of the QCA method by reading the recommended literature.
A previous introduction to the basic functions of R and RStudio would be useful to start working with the software from day 1. We will give you some Intro to R material specific to QCA and we strongly encourage you to practice some of the basics (e.g. loading and manipulating a dataset) beforehand.
Prior knowledge of the very basics of formal logic and set theory would be very useful but are not expected.

ECPR Winter School: Comparative Research Design
2021-03-15 - 2021-03-19 | Online
This course provides training on methods that enable a researcher to construct a solid and well-argued comparative research design (CRD) – any research enterprise that comprises at least two ‘cases’ or units of analysis.
We will cover multiple options, from very few cases (small-n) to multiple cases (intermediate-n) to many cases (larger-n), and in particular options that are QCA-compatible.
By the end of this course, you will be able to write up a well-constructed CRD section for your project and to reflect strategically on your comparative research project.
Key topics covered
We will cover a logical sequence of topics that constitute the core building blocks of a solid CRD:

Thinking upstream: why go comparative? What is the added value of comparison? What should be the mindset of a good comparative researcher? What is the link between a research puzzle and the choice for a CRD? How to formulate a comparative research question?
‘Casing’ operations: what are my cases, how to define them, conceptually and empirically? At which level(s) (micro, meso, macro) can they be apprehended? And what about the time dimension?
Which case selection strategy to choose? How many cases and which ones? Should I go ‘smaller-n’ or ‘larger-n’? Should I select cases with similar or different outcomes? Which basic case selection strategies are available, and what are the pros and cons? And what about more advanced strategies, e.g. ‘nested’ (multilevel) designs, designs including multiple time periods, etc?
How to systematically collect good-quality data when covering multiple cases? What are the tricks of the trade? How to gain sufficient ‘intimacy’ with the respective cases (case-based-knowledge)? And how to compile and manage this data?
How to engage in comparative data analysis? Which toolbox(es) to select, among ‘qualitative’ (case-oriented), specifically comparative (in particular QCA – Qualitative Comparative Analysis), and ‘quantitative’ (statistical, variable-oriented) data analysis techniques?

We’ll unpack topics 1, 2 and 3 in detail, and take a bird’s eye view of topics 4 and 5 because they refer to multiple methods and techniques (including QCA).
This seminar-type course provides a highly interactive online teaching and learning environment, using state of the art online pedagogical tools. It is designed for a demanding audience (researchers, professional analysts, advanced students) and capped at a maximum of 12 participants so that the Instructor can cater to the specific needs of each individual.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Little prior knowledge is expected. Any training in qualitative and/or quantitative methods would be an asset, but is by no means a requirement. You should simply be willing to reflect openly about your research design – there is no ‘best’ or ‘one-size-fits-all’ comparative research design.
