COMPASSS

Pre-Conference Workshop on Coincidence Analysis (12th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination & Implementation in Health)
2019-12-04 14:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Crystal Gateway Marriott (Arlington, VA), 1700 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, Virginia, 22202
This workshop will introduce Coincidence Analysis (CNA), a relatively new member within the family of Configurational Comparative Methods. CNA is specifically designed to analyze causal complexity, which is common in implementation research. Presenters will discuss the types of studies for which CNA is useful, provide worked examples of applying CNA to datasets, and share practical resources for using CNA. Participants will learn how CNA works through hands-on exercises involving Boolean algebra, the bottom-up algorithm used by CNA and model performance measures like coverage.

Training Day: Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA)
2019-10-25 09:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research (University of Manchester), Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
Qualitative Comparative Analysis is a systematic method of studying data on multiple comparable cases from about N=8 through to large datasets of N=10,000 etc. The QCA methods firstly involve casing, i.e. delineating cases; secondly organising a systematic data matrix (we will show these in NVIVO and in Excel); thirdly examining sets of cases known as configurations; fourth interpreting these in terms of ‘necessary cause’ and ‘sufficient cause’ of each major outcome of interest. We demonstrate the fsQCA software for QCA. A fuzzy set is a record of the membership score of a case in a characteristic or set. A crisp set is a membership value of 0 (not in the set) or 1 (fully in the set), and thus is a simplified measure compared with a fuzzy set. Fuzzy sets or crisp sets, and combinations can be used in QCA. All the permutations of the causal factors, known as X variates, are considered one by one. We test whether X is necessary, or sufficient, or both, for an outcome Y. We then augment the standard measures of ‘consistency’. We show that one can generate both within-group and sample-wide consistency levels for testing sufficient cause.
This one-day training course will attract those doing case-study research, those doing comparative research, and those who want to extend their skills in fuzzy set analysis from beginner to intermediate levels. It will suit qualitative as well as quantitative and mixed-methods researchers; all are welcome.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in Research on Environment, Conflict, and Peace
2019-10-23 09:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Central European University – Vienna, Quellenstraße 51, Vienna, Wien, 1100, Austria
A training on QCA will be organised by Charles Ragin and Tobias Ide during the First Environmental Peacebuilding Conference (October 23-25, University of California Irvine). The training will be held from 9:00-1:30 at October 23 and provide an introduction to QCA with a focus on applications in the field of environmental security and environmental peacebuilding.

Short Course on Qualitative Comparative Analysis, 23rd Swiss Summer School in Social Science Methods
2019-08-19 - 2019-08-23 | Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900, Switzerland
The course provides participants with a thorough introduction to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), both as a research approach and as a data analysis technique. In recent years, this set-theoretic method has gained recognition among social scientists as a methodological approach that holds specific benefits for comparative studies. The course begins by familiarizing participants with the foundations of set theory and the basic concepts of the methodological approach of QCA, including necessary and sufficient conditions, Boolean algebra, and fuzzy logic. The next step is devoted to the calibration of empirical data into crisp and fuzzy sets. Once these essentials are in place, the course moves on to the construction and analysis of truth tables as the core of the QCA procedure. Here, we will also spend time to discuss typical challenges that arise during a truth table analysis, and techniques to overcome such problems. Finally, the course will introduce consistency and coverage as parameters of fit, as well as additional measures to assess the robustness of QCA results.
Besides the technical introduction of QCA and its variants, the course will provide opportunities to discuss general aspects of comparative research design, including criteria for concept building and case selection, and data-related issues. Participants will be given the opportunity to present their own work and to receive individual feedback on their projects.
Throughout the course, participants will conduct set-theoretic analyses within the R software environment (packages “QCA” and “SetMethods”). The software will be introduced on the first day and used for exercises and examples throughout the course, so that participants gain a level of proficiency that enables them to conduct their own QCA analyses upon the completion of the course. Participants are encouraged to bring their own qualitative and/or quantitative data for course exercises (if available, preliminary data is fine). In addition, datasets from published studies will be made available and used for in-course exercises.

Panel on Case-Oriented and Set-Theoretic Approaches to Comparative Policy Analysis, 4th International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP4)
2019-06-26 - 2019-06-28 | University of Concordia, Montreal, Canada
Recent years have seen an impressive proliferation of set-theoretic and case-oriented methods in comparative policy analysis in general (see e.g. Rihoux et al. 2011; Thomann 2019), and in policy implementation and evaluation research in particular (Gerrits and Verweij 2018; Pattyn et al. 2017). Case-oriented and set-theoretic approaches to comparative policy analysis, including but not limited to methods such as Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), Coincidence Analysis (CNA, explanatory typologies, and comparative process tracing, are designed to address the challenges of contemporary policy analysis. Situated within a “critical realist” paradigm of social research (Gerrits and Verweij 2013), they model different aspects of causal complexity, such as the prevalence of configurations of different factors leading to policy outputs or outcomes, equifinality (multiple policy strategies or instruments resulting in the same outcome), contextual contingencies, and causal asymmetry. Moreover, they can be applied within a variety of small-N or large-N research approaches to evaluate as well as generate theories through a combination of systematic comparison with targeted in-depth case studies (Thomann and Maggetti 2017).
This panel gathers theoretical, conceptual, and empirical contributions by both junior and senior scholars that deal with case-oriented and set-theoretic approaches and illustrate their potential and limitations to contribute to the theory and practice of policy analysis. We particularly invite contributions that either comprehensively review or systematize the state of the art, apply methodological innovations to empirical settings, connect methods with theories, and/or contribute to methodological innovation themselves. Papers should engage in a critical reflection of methodological aspects and their connection with the theory and/or practice of policy analysis in general, or implementation and evaluation in particular. Abstracts should include a clear puzzle, research question, outline of the approach, research design, and main contribution of the proposed paper. Preference is given to abstracts that demonstrate an understanding of recent methodological developments.

ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research
2019-06-17 - 2019-06-19 | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
QCA can be used to answer any research question if one is interested in analyzing patterns of necessity and sufficiency in a group of cases ranging from a handful to many thousands. The method is now widely used in different disciplines including political science, sociology, public administration, public health, medical research, organization and management research.
The course introduces participants to the principles and techniques of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) on a methodological and an applied dimension using RStudio. At the end of the course, participants will be familiar with the key elements of a QCA study and know how to read, criticize and implement an empirical analysis.

Designing Research with Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
2019-06-10 - 2019-06-14 | University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
This module introduces you 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.

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, robustness, etc.)

Comparative Case Study Design
2019-06-03 - 2019-06-07 | University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Description: This module provides you with the skills needed to design your qualitative case study research. It covers concept formation, casing and case selection, logics and strategies of comparison, accounting for context and time, data collection strategies, and both conceptual and research-practical issues such as limited diversity, Galton’s problem, conceptual stretching, and thinking about scope conditions. In the lab sessions, we will work extensively with you on your own research projects.

The logic and goals of qualitative comparative case study research
Defining, structuring and measuring social science concepts and typologies
Casing: what is a case? What is context?
Case selection and scope conditions
Logics and techniques of comparison across time and space

2nd International QCA Summer Workshops
2019-05-22 - 2019-05-24 | Prague University of Economics and Business, Czech Republic, Czech Republic
The 2nd International QCA Summer Workshops consist of a sequence of three workshops: an Advanced applications workshop (22 May) in which users with at least intermediate-level knowledge of QCA receive more advanced feedback on their work-in-progress from QCA experts; (2) an invitation-only Expert workshop (23 May) gathering QCA experts and developers so as to make progress on some QCA innovation fronts; (3) a Paper development workshop (24 May) in which early-stage users receive expert guidance on their first QCA application.
Besides the three workshops: two parallel, two-day (22-23 May) modular doctoral courses will be offered: an Introduction to QCA doctoral course for participants with no prior QCA training, and an Intermediate-level QCA doctoral course for participants with some prior level of QCA training or practice. In addition, there will be also a specific half-day session for consultants (23 May).

Southern California QCA Workshop
2019-03-28 - 2019-03-30 | Central European University – Vienna, Quellenstraße 51, Vienna, Wien, 1100, Austria
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-theoretic approach.
