Abstract
Political scientists have developed important new ideas for using spatial diagrams to enhance quantitative research. Yet the potential uses of diagrams for qualitative research have not been explored systematically. We begin to correct this omission by showing how set diagrams can facilitate the application of qualitative methods and improve the presentation of qualitative findings. Set diagrams can be used in conjunction with a wide range of qualitative methodologies, including process tracing, concept formation, counterfactual analysis, sequence elaboration, and qualitative comparative analysis. We illustrate the utility of set diagrams by drawing on substantive examples of qualitative research in the fields of international relations and comparative politics.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 65-100 |
| Number of pages | 36 |
| Journal | Comparative Political Studies |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 12 2015 |
Funding
Rachel Sweet Vanderpoel is a PhD candidate in political science at Northwestern University focusing on processes of institutional change in rebel-governed eastern Congo. Her reseach is funded by Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Award and an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship for African studies.
Keywords
- necessary and sufficient conditions
- qualitative methods
- sets
- visual aids
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science