Conducting Configurational Comparative Research With Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Thiem, Alrik

doi:10.1177/1098214016673902

Cited by 50 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 52 publications

(75 reference statements)

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“…In accordance with the recommendations of recent methodological advancements, we do not carry out isolated analyses of simple necessary conditions before proceeding to the Boolean minimization (Thiem 2016b). In response to the recent methodological dispute on interpretation of solution terms, the paper roots its analysis in the work of Michael Baumgartner and Alrik Thiem and follows a recommendation to report parsimonious solution as the only type of the three QCA solution types that is not methodologically biased (Thiem 2016a). Since recent methodological work has demonstrated that both the conservative and intermediate solution types often infer (way) beyond the data and thus increase the risk of causal fallacies, it represents a safe approach for interpreting the results (Baumgartner and Thiem 2017b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electoral violence under different contexts. Evidence from the Western Balkans

Mochťak

2019

Nations and Nationalism

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The paper addresses the question of what settings are empirically relevant for the occurrence of electoral violence in the region of Western Balkans and what theoretical paths may cover their logic. Electoral violence has been part of the electoral arenas in the region for decades and although it has evolved and in some cases disappeared, a number of countries still experience it. The paper analyses original data on electoral violence collected from the OSCE monitoring reports covering fifty-six parliamentary elections organized between 1990 and 2015. Applying fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the paper identifies four sub-models under which electoral violence is observed. The conjunctural logic that defines each and every of the discussed paths within the sub-models shows that the scenarios of electoral violence in the Western Balkans are always complex and potentially relevant conditions are never sufficient for the outcome on their own.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electoral violence under different contexts. Evidence from the Western Balkans

Mochťak

2019

Nations and Nationalism

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“…Consistency, represented by a score ranging from 0 to 1, measures how often a combination of conditions is associated with the outcome, or the degree to which the cases that share a con guration also share the same outcome. [7] Lower consistency values indicate lower con dence in the causal interpretability of the dependence between conditions and the outcome. Coverage scores range from 0 to 1 and represent the proportion of cases with the outcome that also have a particular con guration.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It begins by identifying maximal su cient and necessary conditions of the outcome, which are subsequently minimized using standard inference rules from Boolean algebra to arrive at a redundancyfree solution composed of INUS conditions of the outcome. [7] However, the QMC algorithm was not designed for causal inference. For instance, the absence of cases instantiating a potential causal model, also known as limited diversity, forces QMC to draw on counterfactual reasoning that goes beyond available data and sometimes requires assumptions contradicting the very causal structures under investigation.…”

Section: Different Types Of Ccmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CCMs are designed to investigate different hypotheses and uncover different properties of causal structures than traditional regression analytical methods (RAMs). [7,8] Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is one kind of CCM that, to date, has been most frequently applied in implementation science and health services research. The purpose of this article is to introduce a new CCM to the implementation research community: Coincidence Analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Coincidence Analysis: A New Method for Causal Inference in Implementation Science

Whitaker

Sperber

Baumgärtner

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: Implementation of multifaceted interventions typically involves many diverse elements working together in interrelated ways, including intervention components, implementation strategies, and features of local context. Given this real-world complexity, implementation researchers may be interested in a new mathematical, cross-case method called Coincidence Analysis (CNA) that has been designed explicitly to support causal inference, answer research questions about combinations of conditions that are minimally necessary or sufficient for an outcome, and identify the possible presence of multiple causal paths to an outcome. CNA can be applied as a standalone method or in conjunction with other approaches, and can reveal new empirical findings related to implementation that might otherwise have gone undetected. Methods: We applied CNA to a publicly available dataset from Sweden with county-level data on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaigns and vaccination uptake in 2012 and 2014 and then compared CNA results to the published regression findings. Results: The original regression analysis found vaccination uptake was positively associated only with the availability of vaccines in schools. CNA produced different findings and uncovered an additional solution path: high vaccination rates were achieved by either (1) offering the vaccine in all schools or (2) a combination of offering the vaccine in some schools and media coverage. Conclusions: CNA offers a new comparative approach for researchers seeking to understand how implementation conditions work together and link to outcomes.Contributions to the literature· Coincidence Analysis (CNA) represents a new mathematical, cross-case method for researchers evaluating the implementation of complex interventions in dynamic settings.· CNA can address multiple dimensions of real-world complexity, including conjunctivity (where several conditions must be jointly present to bring about an outcome) and equifinality (where different paths can lead to the same outcome). CNA can also detect causal chains, where conditions lead to an intermediary outcome, which then leads to the final outcome. · Intentionally designed to investigate different hypotheses and uncover different properties of causal structures than more traditional approaches, CNA can identify implementation-related findings that might otherwise go undetected.

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“…We will investigate necessary and sufficient causal conditions and pathways that explain adoption, fidelity, and sustainment of TF-CBT using Boolean minimization [67] procedures. We follow the QCA procedural protocol outlined by Thiem [68] for elimination of redundant causal conditions (variables) by transforming the raw data into a data matrix (truth table), minimization of the truth table to a prime implicant (PI) chart, and decomposition of the PI chart to investigate necessary causal conditions. The minimum number of cases required to identify a set of conditions that lead to the outcome of interest will be set to 1 to maximize inclusiveness [58].…”

Section: Aim 2 Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing successful implementation of task-shifted mental health care in low-resource settings (BASIC): protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial

et al. 2020

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Background: The mental health treatment gap-the difference between those with mental health need and those who receive treatment-is high in low-and middle-income countries. Task-shifting has been used to address the shortage of mental health professionals, with a growing body of research demonstrating the effectiveness of mental health interventions delivered through task-shifting. However, very little research has focused on how to embed, support, and sustain task-shifting in government-funded systems with potential for scale up. The goal of the Building and Sustaining Interventions for Children (BASIC) study is to examine implementation policies and practices that predict adoption, fidelity, and sustainment of a mental health intervention in the education sector via teacher delivery and the health sector via community health volunteer delivery. Methods: BASIC is a Hybrid Type II Implementation-Effectiveness trial. The study design is a stepped wedge, cluster randomized trial involving 7 sequences of 40 schools and 40 communities surrounding the schools. Enrollment consists of 120 teachers, 120 community health volunteers, up to 80 site leaders, and up to 1280 youth and one of their primary guardians. The evidence-based mental health intervention is a locally adapted version of Traumafocused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, called Pamoja Tunaweza. Lay counselors are trained and supervised in Pamoja Tunaweza by local trainers who are experienced in delivering the intervention and who participated in a Train-the-Trainer model of skills transfer. After the first sequence completes implementation, in-depth interviews are conducted with initial implementing sites' counselors and leaders. Findings are used to inform delivery of implementation facilitation for subsequent sequences' sites. We use a mixed methods approach including qualitative comparative analysis to identify necessary and sufficient implementation policies and practices that predict 3 implementation outcomes of interest: adoption, fidelity, and sustainment. We also examine child mental health outcomes and cost of the intervention in both the education and health sectors. Discussion: The BASIC study will provide knowledge about how implementation of task-shifted mental health care can be supported in government systems that already serve children and adolescents. Knowledge about implementation policies and practices from BASIC can advance the science of implementation in low-resource contexts.

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Conducting Configurational Comparative Research With Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Cited by 50 publications

References 52 publications

Electoral violence under different contexts. Evidence from the Western Balkans

Electoral violence under different contexts. Evidence from the Western Balkans

Coincidence Analysis: A New Method for Causal Inference in Implementation Science

Advancing successful implementation of task-shifted mental health care in low-resource settings (BASIC): protocol for a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial

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