QCA
Kateřina Fridrichová


Standard analysis
1.Conceptual research – the research question, population of interest, outcome of interest,
conditions to analyze
2.Data matrix – calibration of the measurements
3.Transformation of data matrix into truthtable
4.Testing for necessity
1.Assessment of the outcome – consistency and coverage
5.Testing for sufficiency
1.Assessment of the outcome – consistency and coverage
6.Repeating the process for non-outcome.

QCA does not allow you to discover new things about the matter. The crucial research is done by
looking at the cases

Truth table
–Truth table reflects data from the data matrix
–One row of truth table reresents combination of conditions that can appear
–2k  (k = number of conditions)
–Not all of the conditions then appear in the reality = incomplete truth table – logical remainders
–If there is 1 in the outcome column that row expresses statement of sufficiency (under this
combination of conditions the outcome of intererest happens)
–You take the truth table row and if it shows the outcome, than it is added to the logical
minimization by Quine-McCluskey
–Fuzzy sets – fuzzy sets (as crisp ones) establish qualitative difference between membership and
nonmembership in the set – property space – still belong into only one truth table row, because
they will always have the value below 0.5 or above 0.5 for that condition
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Draw the Venn diagram and how it connects.

Data matrix into the truth table



Fuzzy set truth table



Dealing with contradictory rows and logical remainders
–Logical remainders – those combinations that do not realize in the data
–Either use no assumpitons on logical remainders – bar them from logical minimization →
conservative solution
–Assign assumptions on logical remainders – the program itslef decides what to do with the
remainders (uses those that lead to more effective logical minimization) → parsimonious solution
–Directional expectations → intermediate solution
–Contradictory row - If the same combination of conditions shows both outcome and non-outcome
–Before logical minimization:
–adding a condition
–respecify the population of interest
–respecify the definition, conceptualization, or measurement of the outcome or conditions
–

Sufficiency and its consistency



Sufficiency and its coverage
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Sufficiency and its coverage



Necessity and its coverage and parameters of fit
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Conceptual work
–Research question: What factors motivate UN intervention.
–causally complex phenomenon
–outcome: the strength of international response (“STRONG”)
–conditions:
–Extent of the crisis
–Spillover effects
–Countervailing power
–Institutional involvement
–Media attention

Data matrix



Data matrix in RStudio



Truth table



Bibliography
–Binder, Martin. 2015. “Paths to Intervention What Explains the UN’s Selective Response to
Humanitarian Crises?” Journal of Peace Research, July, 0022343315585847.
doi:10.1177/0022343315585847.
–Ragin, Charles C. 2008. Redesigning Social Inquiry: Fuzzy Sets and Beyond. Chicago: University Of
Chicago Press.
–Schneider, Carsten Q., and Claudius Wagemann. 2012. Set-Theoretic Methods for the Social Sciences:
A Guide to Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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