POL41640

This seminar introduces graduate students to the logic of inference (descriptive and causal) in the qualitative tradition in political science research. It exposes students to the logic behind concept formation, within and cross- case study designs. The module is designed for students to understand the distinctive ways in which qualitative researchers think about the structure of causal relations, standards of good practices to make causal inferences, case selection strategies, and criteria to evaluate the inferential power of causal process observations. The course focuses on understanding causal processes producing outcomes in specific cases.