Call for Abstracts: 7th Annual International QCA Paper Development Workshop (PDW), Antwerp, 2023

Antwerp Management School (AMS) and University of Louvain (UCLouvain)

12^th & 13^th December 2023 

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 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. This year as well the International QCA Paper Development Workshop (PDW) 2023 will take place on 12^th and 13^th December 2023 as a hybrid event (in-person participation is recommended, but online participation can also be arranged – see workshop registration fee and organization info). 

Through this Call for Abstracts, we invite submissions from researchers that are using QCA for the first time but are at a mid- or advanced stage in the application of QCA. This Call for Abstracts is open to all researchers working in various domains (e.g., sociology, political science, management, international relations, medicine and health, evaluation studies), as well as to policy and business consultants using QCA in their work.  

Some of the expert scholars that will attend (some still pending of confirmation) this year’s event are: 

Preliminary Workshop Program  

The International QCA Paper Development Workshop (PDW) primarily consists of roundtable forums where participants can receive detailed feedback from QCA experts on their ongoing research projects. The roundtables are the main part of the PDW and will be dispatched on 12^th December afternoon and 13^th December morning (Central European Time – and arranging to accommodate suitable time zones for the online participants). On both days, discussion groups with experts on key topics related to applied QCA (participants not assigned to a roundtable will be able to join parallel “Q&A on QCA” group discussions to tackle specific issues in QCA and receive further feedback from experts on specific challenges they are experiencing in developing their research), as well as plenary and panel sessions, will be organized. These will not be recorded. 

In this hybrid event, most experts will be present on site.

Schedule

12 Dec, noon & afternoon: Welcome & Paper Development Workshop (PDW), Day 1

12 Dec, evening: Workshop Dinner

13 Dec, morning: Paper Development Workshop (PDW), Day 2

To the extent possible, it is recommended that participants attend in-person for the best experience. Those participants who cannot attend in-person will be able to join online: (a) for the plenary sessions: joining online, in hybrid format; (b) for the roundtables: these participants will join online-only roundtables (with some experts on-site in Antwerp and possibly some others also online).

Submission Procedure

To participate in the PDW, please submit an extended abstract of maximum 1,000-1,500 words of main text (further information can be included in an appendix) by using the following online form: https://forms.gle/DFanhC6bJkqgqHc98 by 9^th October 2023. Please name the file containing your abstract as follows: “YourSurname_PDW23”.  

In your abstract, you should include a summary of your study’s topical area, the theoretical background, the research gap and main question(s). Your abstract should give a detailed account of the constructed dataset (number of cases, data collection strategy) and include results at a preliminary or at a more advanced stage.  

A panel of QCA experts will review all submissions and evaluate their fit with the workshop according to several criteria (stage of the research, clarity of purpose, methodological rigor and innovative character of the performed study). The event is open to researchers that are both at an early or more advanced stage in applying QCA. However, to benefit the most from the PDW, it is expected that a dataset has already been constructed and that preliminary or advanced results are already available at the time of abstract submission. Abstracts that are too conceptual or that show a very early stage of the research might not be accepted. 

In the online form, we will also ask for some information about you and your co-authors (if any) and about your abstract to facilitate the organization of the roundtables. All information will be kept confidential. You will need around 10 minutes to complete the form. 

We will notify applicants around (+/-) 30^th October 2023. Accepted participants will have to submit a full paper by 20^th November 2023 and by using a pre-defined template (max. 15 pages) linked below: 

Best Paper Award 

A panel of experts will review all full papers submitted by the time of the deadline to recognize the authors of outstanding submissions with the 2023 ‘Best Paper Award’. Please note that another eligibility criterion to participate to the ‘Best Paper Award’ is that the first author is a non-tenured researcher attending the PDW.   

Workshop registration fee and organization 

Accepted participants will receive the detailed workshop program by email once all accepted participants have confirmed their attendance. Online participants will be provided with links to access the sessions, and we will try our best to schedule the roundtables by considering the participants’ and experts’ time zones.  

The PDW registration fee is 90€ for paper presenters (same fee for in-person or online participation). In due time, all accepted participants will receive practical information on how to pay the fee.

Further information 

More information on the workshop and other events related to QCA is available on our webpage: https://compasss.org/intlqca/. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by writing to cai@ihs.nl.

We look forward to receiving your submission!

Bart Cambré (AMS) and Benoît Rihoux (UCLouvain), and the PDW organising committee, Julia Leib (U Leipzig), Christoph Niessen (Leiden U), Christian Rupietta (Queen’s U Belfast)