Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis: Beyond the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1441939563 ISBN 13: 9781441939562

Publisher: Springer, 2010

Synopsis

Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis aims to provide a decisive push to the further development and application of innovative and specific comparative methods for the improvement of policy analysis. To take on this challenge, this volume brings together methodologists and specialists from a broad range of social scientific disciplines and policy fields. The work further develops methods for systematic comparative cases analysis in a small-N research design, with a key emphasis laid on policy-oriented applications. Both a social scientific and policy-driven endeavor, the book engages on one hand in an effort to further improve social scientific methods, and on the other provides useful, applied tools for policy analysts and the "policy community" alike. Much of the focus is on Qualitative Comparative Analysis(QCA) and Fuzzy-Sets (FS), two recently developed research methods which permit a systematic comparison of a limited number of cases.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis aims to provide a decisive push to the further development and application of innovative and specific comparative methods for the improvement of policy analysis. To take on this challenge, this volume brings together methodologists and specialists from a broad range of social scientific disciplines and policy fields.

The work further develops methods for systematic comparative cases analysis in a small-N research design, with a key emphasis laid on policy-oriented applications. Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis is clearly both a social scientific and policy-driven endeavor; on the one hand, the book engages in an effort to further improve social scientific methods, but on the other hand this effort also intends to provide useful, applied tools for policy analysts and the ‘policy community’ alike. Though quite a variety of methods and techniques are touched upon in this volume, its focus is mainly laid on two recently developed research methods/techniques which enable researchers to systematically compare a limited number of cases; Qualitative Comparative Analysis(QCA) and Fuzzy-Sets (FS).

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1441939563
• ISBN 13: 9781441939562
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 358
• Editor: Rihoux Benoit, Grimm Heike