COMPASSS

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.
