Case Studies and Causal Inference

INGO ROHLFING is Assistant Professor for Comparative Social Research at the Cologne Graduate School in Management, Economics and Social Sciences, University of Cologne, Germany. His research is centred on party politics and social science methodology and he has published in journals such as Comparative Political Studies and West European Politics.

• Introduction Case, Case Study, and Causality: Core Concepts and Fundamentals Types of Case Study and Case Selection Forms and Problems of Comparisons Enhancing Causal Inference in Comparisons Process Tracing: Theory, Temporality, and Method From Evidence to Inference: Uses of Sources and Counterfactuals Frequentist and Bayesian Causal Inference in Tests of Hypotheses External Validity: Challenges and Strategies Conclusion: Guided by Theory, Moving Forward Step by Step

'Ingo Rohlfing's book marks an important contribution to the case-methods literature. Building upon but going beyond earlier work, he advances an integrative perspective that offers a comprehensive discussion of case studies and their potential for causal inference. Foundational questions on the case method - the nature of causation (effects or mechanisms), scope conditions, the role(s) of theory, and process tracing - are addressed, and done so in a user-friendly manner where conceptual discussions are illuminated with a rich set of empirical illustrations. Case Studies and Causal Inference is a must read - not just for methodologists, but for all qualitatively oriented social scientists.' - Jeffrey T. Checkel, Simons Chair in International Law and Human Security, Simon Fraser University, Research Professor, Peace Research Institute, Oslo'An important and ambitious effort to synthesize different approaches to causal inference in case study research. The book offers a balanced discussion of different methodologies, and it reaches sophisticated conclusions that move the discussion forward. Rohlfing's work is useful for both teaching methods and designing substantive case study research.' - James Mahoney, Fitzgerald Professor of Economic History, Northwestern University, USA