Designing Case Studies ― Explanatory Approaches in Small-n Research

Designing Case Studies explores three different ways of conducting causal analysis in case studies: co-variational analysis, causal-process tracing, and congruence analysis. It is an inclusive account of case study methodology which covers all the major explanatory approaches, and is also the first book to present congruence analysis in detail as a distinct case study approach.

Differentiating the three approaches to case study research allows the authors to present each as a coherent and consistent way of drawing causal inferences by studying one or a few cases in-depth. The authors highlight the core features of each approach and provide helpful advice for each step of the research process, including: formulating research questions and goals, selecting theories and cases, data generation, and data analysis. They also show how to draw conclusions beyond the cases under investigation and show how case studies can fruitfully be combined with statistical analysis and Qualitative Comparative Analysis.

Joachim Blatter is Professor of Political Science at the University of Lucerne, Switzerland. He has previously held positions at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, the University of Konstanz, Germany, Free University Berlin, Germany, and the University of St Gallen, Switzerland. His research interests include transformations of governance, citizenship, and democracy.

Markus Haverland is Professor of Political Science, Department of Public Administration, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and lectures on methodology at the Dutch Graduate School for Public Administration and Political Science (NIG) there. Amongst his previous positions was a Jean Monnet Fellowship at the European University Institute, Florence. His research interests include methodology, European Union policy-making, and the effect of the European Union on its member states.