Qualitative Comparative Analysis in Mixed Methods Research and Evaluation

Leila C. Kahwati, MD MPH, is a senior research scientist in RTI International’s Social and Health Organizational Research and Evaluation Program. She has over 20 years of experience in government, community, and academic health care practice and research settings with a focus on clinical program and policy development and evaluation. Dr. Kahwati is board certified in family medicine and in general preventive medicine/public health and has training in epidemiology and health services research through a Health Resources and Services Administration National Research Service Award in Primary Care Research through the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With her colleagues, she has pioneered the use of qualitative comparative analysis in mixed methods health services research and in systematic reviews of complex interventions. Before joining RTI she was the Deputy Chief Consultant for Preventive Medicine in the Veterans Health Administration. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Heather L. Kane, PhD is a senior public health analyst and director of the Child and Adolescent Research and Evaluation program at RTI International, specializing in qualitative research methodologies, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), and evaluation. Dr. Kane has more than 15 years of experience in planning and implementing mixed methods evaluations. Her work focuses on the lives of vulnerable populations, such as children and adults experiencing food insecurity, persons living with multiple sclerosis (MS), and low-income persons lacking access to health care. Before joining RTI, she was an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Research Service Award postdoctoral research fellow at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and recipient of the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Education.  She holds an adjunct faculty appointment with Tulane University, School of Professional Advancement.

"This book is written in a way that is easy to follow and should expand the range of fields in which QCA is used. Also, there are quite a few principles and practice tips articulated, especially in later chapters, which are applicable more broadly across social sciences and evaluation work. Novice researchers will find those suggestions especially helpful, even if QCA does not become a major tool in their practice."

• Editors′ IntroductionPrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorsChapter 1: Qualitative Comparative Analysis as Part of a Mixed Methods ApproachOverview of Mixed Methods Study DesignsHow QCA Compares to Other Quantitative and Qualitative MethodsUnderlying Assumptions of Causal ComplexityQCA in Mixed Methods StudiesOverview of the Rest of the Book and Guiding QCA HeuristicChapter 2: Overview of QCA Concepts and TerminologyConfigural Research QuestionsThe Concept of SetsSet Operators and Symbolic NotationFrom Concepts to Real-World ApplicationChapter 3: Selecting Cases and Choosing Conditions and OutcomeOverview of Case, Condition, and Outcome SelectionApply Theoretical, Empirical, and Practical Considerations for Selecting CasesApply Theoretical, Empirical, and Practical Considerations for Selecting Conditions and OutcomesIdentify Strategies for Optimizing the Number of Cases and ConditionsSchool Health Features and Academic Performance ExampleChapter 4: Calibrating Sets and Managing DataData Types and SourcesCalibration versus MeasurementTypes of Calibration and Processes UsedCalibration ExamplesGood Calibration Practices and Data Management StrategiesChapter 5: Analyzing the Data—Initial AnalysesOverview of AnalysisTransform a Data Matrix into a Truth TableStrategies for Managing Contradictory Truth Table RowsRevisiting the Data to Manage Contradictory Truth Table RowsInspect the Truth Table for Potential IssuesConduct an Analysis of Necessary Conditions and Combinations of ConditionsConduct Analysis of Sufficient Conditions and Combinations of ConditionsChapter 6: Analyzing the Data—Model AnalyticsOverview of Model AnalyticsInterpret Solution Parameters of FitEvaluating AssumptionsEvaluating Assumptions: An Applied ExampleModel AmbiguityEvaluating Model Ambiguity: An Applied ExampleAssessing RobustnessEvaluating Robustness: An Applied ExampleIterative RespecificationChapter 7: Interpreting Results: Within- and Cross-Case AnalysisOverview of InterpretationConsiderations for Conducting Within- and Cross-Case AnalysisStudy Aims and Case Selection for Within- and Cross-case AnalysisExample: School health and Wellness Policies and Academic PerformanceChapter 8: Advanced Topics in QCAMulti-value QCAIncorporating Time in QCACritiques of QCAChapter 9: Preparing Proposals, Reports, Manuscripts, and PresentationsOverviewReporting QCA MethodsSummarizing Findings and LimitationsImproving Accessibility to ReadersResponding to Peer Review CritiquesChapter 10: Examples of Mixed Methods Approaches using QCAQCA Within a Mixed Methods ApproachExample of Convergent Design: Evaluation of the Jobs to Careers ProgramExample of Sequential Design: A Configurational Approach to Understanding Project DelaysAPPENDIX: Recommended QCA ResourcesGlossaryReferencesIndex