Comparison: A Methodological Introduction for the Social Sciences

Cover -- Comparison. A Methodological Introduction for theSocial Sciences -- Table of Content -- Preface -- 1. Introduction: choosing the question? -- 1.1 Starting from the key aspect -- 1.2 Further examples -- 2. Defining Comparison -- 2.1 The key questions -- 2.2 Classic thinkers -- 2.3 Modern theorists -- 3 Why compare? -- 3.1 The goals of comparison -- 3.2 Nomothetic objectives and generalizations -- 3.3 Explanation and understanding -- 3.4 What kind of theory should be adopted in political science? -- 4. What to compare: the basic units -- 4.1 Identifying the issue -- 4.2 Concepts and classes -- 4.3 Properties and variables -- 4.4 Operationalization -- 4.5 The "many variables, small N" dilemma -- 5. What to compare: space and time -- 5.1 Dimensions of comparison -- 5.2 Deciding the space -- 5.2.1 Case study -- 5.2.2 Other strategies -- 5.3 Defining the time -- 5.4 The problem of multicollinearity -- 6. How to compare: the key mechanisms -- 6.1 The available tools -- 6.2 Ogden and Richards' triangle -- 6.3 The rules of conceptualization -- 6.4 The Tree of Porphyry -- 6.5 Classificatory strategies -- 6.6 Mill's canons -- 7. How to compare: recent developments -- 7.1 In search of new rules for conceptualization -- 7.2 Process tracing -- 7.3 The configurational comparative method and qualitative comparative analysis -- 8. Beyond comparison: other research methods -- 8.1 Data collection and relations between variables -- 8.2 More about explanation, generalization and theory -- 8.3 Experimental and non-experimental methods -- 8.4 The statistical method -- 8.4.1 The number of cases -- 8.4.2. Logic -- 8.5 The historical method -- 9. Conclusions. The limits of comparison -- Bibliographical References -- Index