The Distinctiveness of Comparative Research

Integrating quasi-experimental and inductive designs in evaluation: A case study of the impact of free bus travel on public health

“…This specification is what aids those in other jurisdictions in evaluating whether these conditions are likely to hold. Further comparisons with other cases (such as conditional concessions in other cities) will enable these claims about transferability to be extended and strengthened, through the use of, for instance, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Blackman, 2013;Blackman et al, 2013;Ragin, 1999). However, we have shown how comparisons within the case can also be used to aid the causal claims made.…”

“…We have suggested that a 'capacity' approach to evaluations of natural experiments in public policy can meet these challenges within one case. To some extent, this approach integrates 'variable based' and 'case based' (Ragin, 1999) Figure 2. The revised logic model.…”

Mediating the contributions of Facebook to political participation in Italy and the UK: the role of media and political landscapes

“…Mosca and Quaranta's (2016) and Saldaña et al's (2015) studies demonstrate how cross-national comparative research can facilitate the understanding of the particularities of national contexts and the assessment of the generalizability of findings by testing them in diverse settings. Comparative studies are often employed to three separate ends, as follows: to adjudicate between competing theories (Ragin and Rubinson, 2009); to promote a deeper understanding of the phenomena under investigation (Hantrais and Mangen, 1996); and to facilitate the testing of empirical relationships among variables (Lijphart, 1975). Taking into account its assets, the scarcity of this type of enquiry in SNSs and political participation research is surprising, even more so considering the potential contributions of the comparative method to a strand of research characterized by contrasting evidence.…”

Kontekstuelle og tværnationale komparative analyser

“…Det er derfor ikke så maerkeligt, at der i løbet af de seneste år har vaeret nogle klare opbrudstendenser i den må-de, hvorpå man metodisk forholder sig i tvaer-nationale komparative analyser. Charles C. Ragin (Ragin 1987(Ragin , 1989Ragin et al 1993) kan således tjene som eksempel på en forsker, der har forsøgt at gøre de komparative teknikker mere sofistikerede, idet han har forsøgt at udvikle nogle teknikker, der tager højde for, at årsag og effekt ikke er den samme i alle sociale kontekster (Ragin 1987:32f). Ragin når da også frem til mere nuancerede forklaringer af sociale faenomener, idet han redegør for, hvorledes A, B & C på forskellige måder og i forskellige kombinationer kan forårsage D. Problemet hos Ragin er dog, at man fortsat ikke kan udelukke, at "system-interne" variable så som A, B, C og D alle er betinget af en helt tredje faktor, in casu de sociale relationer i samfundet.…”