Podcast
Questions and Answers
What are two overarching goals shared by Positivist researchers?
What are two overarching goals shared by Positivist researchers?
Descriptive and causal inferences
What are the key terms used for discussing goal trade-offs in research design?
What are the key terms used for discussing goal trade-offs in research design?
Overarching goals, intermediate goals, and tools
What is the key advice given by KKV regarding analysis of cases?
What is the key advice given by KKV regarding analysis of cases?
Avoid "no variance" designs, meaning don't analyze just one or a few cases, focus on something that varies
According to KKV, creativity and theoretical innovation are solely a product of individual genius or brilliance.
According to KKV, creativity and theoretical innovation are solely a product of individual genius or brilliance.
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What is KKV's advice on conceptualization and measurement in research?
What is KKV's advice on conceptualization and measurement in research?
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The advice from KKV regarding selection bias is to always choose a large and random sample to ensure representativeness of the population.
The advice from KKV regarding selection bias is to always choose a large and random sample to ensure representativeness of the population.
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What are the two main benefits of choosing a small sample in qualitative research?
What are the two main benefits of choosing a small sample in qualitative research?
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Why does KKV advise against using deterministic or set-relational causation in research?
Why does KKV advise against using deterministic or set-relational causation in research?
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Which of the following are types of set-relational causal relationships?
Which of the following are types of set-relational causal relationships?
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What are the main objectives of a case study?
What are the main objectives of a case study?
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What are the selection criteria for choosing cases in qualitative research?
What are the selection criteria for choosing cases in qualitative research?
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What two comparative designs are used in structured comparisons?
What two comparative designs are used in structured comparisons?
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The Most Similar Systems design aims to identify the causal effect of a variable by focusing on cases that share many characteristics.
The Most Similar Systems design aims to identify the causal effect of a variable by focusing on cases that share many characteristics.
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The Most Different Systems design focuses on cases that are very different from each other.
The Most Different Systems design focuses on cases that are very different from each other.
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What are the potential issues that can arise in comparative designs?
What are the potential issues that can arise in comparative designs?
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Within-case analysis, also known as process tracing, is a valuable tool that can be combined with case comparisons to strengthen research findings.
Within-case analysis, also known as process tracing, is a valuable tool that can be combined with case comparisons to strengthen research findings.
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What are the two types of cases used in crucial case design?
What are the two types of cases used in crucial case design?
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What are the two types of deviant case analysis?
What are the two types of deviant case analysis?
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Study Notes
Qualitative Research Methods
- Qualitative research methods are used to understand the "goals, tools, and trade-offs" of research design.
- The presenter emphasizes the strengths of qualitative research in particular contexts and provides a framework for understanding its value.
- The use of qualitative research can be highly effective for refining theory.
- Qualitative research focuses on specific goals that quantitative research cannot achieve.
- This involves identifying trade-offs inherent in using those particular tools.
- Significant figures like Brady and Collier, and Rohlfing are cited, indicating their importance in this field.
- The qualitative research tools and methods identified help researchers gain more profound and nuanced understanding by focusing on a smaller number of cases.
- Qualitative research is good for better understanding the debate between KKV (King, Keohane, and Verba) and BCS (Bueno de Mesquita, Callander, and Schofield).
- Qualitative research is often used to achieve descriptive or causal inference as well as for concept formation (reconstruction)
Housekeeping
- Office hours are held Fridays between 12:00 and 13:00 in Wijnhaven 3.14A.
- There might be modifications to the schedule in one or two sessions, which will be communicated beforehand.
- Quiz points are awarded based on participation in class (mock question).
- Quiz questions are derived from previous year's final exam, with some modifications.
Trade-offs in research design
- Key texts are cited to support the topic. Brady and Collier (2010) and Rohlfing (2012) provide frameworks for this section.
Tools of Qualitative Research
- The presenter reviews tools of positivist qualitative research. This subject has previously been covered in a prior course.
This Part's Objectives
- The objectives of this portion of the presentation are related to fostering understanding of positivist qualitative research, by applying the debate between KKV and BCS within the last three decades.
- The focus is on using case studies that contribute to the overall goals of positivist research, comparable to qualitative research.
- Emphasis is placed on descriptive and causal inference, alongside concept formation.
- Quantitative tools are described as not sufficient to achieve all research objectives, which highlights the need for qualitative approaches.
- Identifying particular goals and relevant tools (as opposed to pure methodology) of qualitative research is a key part of designing effective research.
- Key terminology is discussed, encompassing overarching goals, intermediate goals and tools, as well as specific types of causal relationships (set-relational causation).
To Discuss Methods
- Shared goals between positivist researchers, such as descriptive and causal inferences, are essential in this discussion.
- Qualitative researchers aim to refine theory.
- Different approaches to achieve these goals with trade-offs; one specific goal may hinder the pursuit of another.
Critiques and Responses
- Avoid using designs that do not involve variance. A key problem with these designs is they limit research to questions answerable using statistics.
- Some specific research practices improve inferences without necessarily producing innovations.
- Qualitative research can be highly effective for producing new questions that may not be answerable with quantitative methods, unlike what might be assumed.
Qualitative Practice and Innovation
- Qualitative research often leads to new research questions and areas of study, particularly through identifying and analyzing deviant cases.
- The presenter rejects the notion that creativity and theoretical innovation are only a result of a researchers' "personal genius".
- Qualitative research forms critical base for many innovations in both political science and economics.
Conceptualization and Measurement
- KKV's suggestions emphasized focusing on concepts for maximized validity & reliability of measurement in qualitative research.
- The presenter suggests avoiding organizing data using typologies.
Problem 1 and Problem 2
- The presenter points out that researchers may overlook conceptually important questions when choosing methods first.
- Methods are sometimes selected instead of asking important questions.
- The use of typologies are valuable in identifying causal heterogeneity, a benefit for causal inference.
Selection Bias
- Selecting cases that don't represent the population (non-random choices) are discouraged.
- Representativeness isn't always the only goal.
- Qualitative research can be particularly beneficial for achieving focused, in-depth analysis within a case.
- Cases are often selected for specific purposes beyond representativeness.
Problem 2: Representative Sample
- Representativeness of a sample is contingent on how the population is understood.
- If the dataset contains all possible cases for a population, then random sampling may not be necessary.
- In practice, perfect comparability between countries is an assumption frequently debatable or not fully theorized.
Models of Causation
- The world is probabilistic, not deterministic, according to KKV.
- Assessing theories formulated in terms of set relations is appropriate to certain types of research, for example comparative case studies.
- Linear regression is unsuitable for certain theoretical approaches.
- This section discusses the variety of set-relations used for characterizing causal relationships in qualitative studies.
Set-relational Causation
- The correct terminology should be correlational or set-relational, rather than probabilistic versus deterministic since it is not the focus of the discussion, but set-relational causation.
- The discussion explores different varieties of set-relations, including sufficiency, necessity, necessity and sufficiency, equifinality, conjunctural causation, INUS, conditions, and SUIN conditions.
"Democratic Peace" Hypothesis
- The hypothesis states that democracies do not engage in war with each other.
- Different views, either sufficient or necessary condition, are considered for the relationship between democracies and peace.
- Types of dyads, either peaceful or in war, are considered in the context of their political traits.
Equifinality
- A concept discussed is that there is more than one path to reach the same outcome (in this case peace).
- A variety of situations resulting in peace, including various types of democracy.
Conjunctural Causation
- Two conditions operating together in specific situations.
- These conditions are necessary together but separately insufficient.
INUS Conditions
- The presented concept discusses that there is more than one path to the same outcome.
- Conditions of these paths are insufficient but necessary to reach that outcome.
INUS Conditions (Comparative-Historical Analysis)
- INUS conditions are widely used in comparative historical analysis, examining historical processes and their sequences
- A key example mentioned is Barrington Moore's work (Social Origins of Democracy and Dictatorship).
- A framework is provided explaining a historical context and the interplay of multiple conditions that lead to an outcome, including the impact of social forces.
SUIN Conditions
- The discussion encompasses instances where specific conditions are both separately insufficient and jointly necessary to achieve that outcome.
- In historical studies, the concepts of sufficiency and necessity are central for establishing chains of cause-and-effect relationships.
Some Tools From the Qualitative Research Tradition
- The presentation includes the 2008 work of Levy ("Case Studies: Types, Designs, and Logics of Inference")
This Part's Objectives (Qualitative Research Tools)
- Reviewing the capabilities of qualitative research tools.
- Key tools and analytical strategies in qualitative research, such as case studies.
- Aims of case studies, such as ideographic, hypothesis generation, hypothesis testing, plausibility probe in the context of gaining new insights and further defining hypotheses.
- Strategies for comparing and contrasting cases when multiple different case studies are utilized.
What is a Case Study?
- Distinction from historical studies is emphasized.
- A case study can be a descriptive tool for further research efforts, and an instance of a phenomenon.
- A framework for understanding case studies as a way to understand and theorize from specific instances, in-depth.
Florida's Panhandle Case
- The 2000 presidential election in Florida highlights a specific case study to analyze and identify reasons behind a particular outcome.
- This example illustrates, how different factors (including media reports) led to controversial analyses related to a narrowly-won election.
Brady's Analysis
- Brady’s analysis of the issues in the 2000 presidential Florida election is discussed.
- This analysis examines various factors influencing the election outcome, including voter turnout, voting patterns, and possible election irregularities.
Typology By Objectives of Research
- Differentiating case study approaches: Ideographic case studies are focused on specific cases and their detailed characteristics, while others target theory building and generalization.
- Inductive studies involve building theory from observations found in the case study rather than relying on a predefined theoretical framework.
- More structured approaches employ existing theories to organize their observation.
Hypothesis-Generating
- The usage of case studies, particularly in hypothesis-generating.
- Examples are given, from the 1968 book The Politics of Accommodation by Arend Lijphart.
Hypothesis-Testing, Plausibility Probe
- Hypothesis-testing using qualitative methods involves testing hypotheses through one or more case studies.
- A plausibility probe uses a case study to explore underlying elements relevant to developing a larger research endeavor.
Research Design: Case Selection Criteria
- Emphasizes the importance of defining variables (dependent and independent).
- Focuses on the purposeful selection of cases for studies involving a small number of cases, which is typical in qualitative research.
- Different strategies for exploring specific factors in case studies, such as extreme and variation cases.
Why do we Need Selection Criteria?
- Issues of selection bias in a case study. Selecting cases that don't represent a broader concept.
- The necessity to carefully define criteria and strategies
- The use of comparative cases to illustrate possible limitations of a particular theory.
Crucial Case Design
- Describing the most-likely and least-likely scenarios for a given theory to test/prove/disprove its validity, using case studies as a tool.
- Using case studies as examples to prove theories by identifying and analyzing both cases where a theory is expected to hold and those where it might not.
Deviant Case Design
- Using cases that deviate from the expected patterns described in a theory are identified, analyzed, and used to examine when a theory might hold true or not.
- Deviating cases can be useful for refining theories.
Comparative Designs
- Different approaches for comparing cases, including the most similar systems design (method of difference, focused on similar contexts, differentiating factors that lead to different outcomes) and the most different systems design (method of agreement, examining different contexts leading to a similar outcome)
- Methods of interpreting comparative cases using theoretical frameworks for analyzing factors.
Most Similar Systems Design
- This involves examining situations that are almost identical in every way except for a specific trait or difference. The differences between similar situations are considered to evaluate that trait.
Most Different Systems Design
- This involves comparing cases that differ a lot in numerous ways, but have similar outcomes. The common patterns between dissimilar cases are viewed as important and evaluated for their relevance as a causal relationship.
Potential Issues (Comparability, Complex Causation)
- The importance of evaluating case studies based on criteria like comparability, while acknowledging that comparability can involve complications given unique situations.
- The presentation highlighted the need for researchers to consider complex causations, rather than simple cause-and-effect scenarios when using multiple conditions in comparative analyses.
- Different tools can be used to analyze complex situations in case studies.
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Description
This quiz explores key concepts in research design, particularly focusing on the insights provided by King, Keohane, and Verba (KKV). Participants will assess the overarching goals of Positivist research, the effects of sample size in qualitative studies, and critical elements of case study analysis. Dive deep into the essentials of conceptualization, measurement, and causation in research.
