Practice question · Put in order
Arrange these steps of a comparative study in the order they are carried out.
- State the concept precisely enough for someone else to apply it
- Measure the outcome in each case
- State the finding with its scope conditions
- Check whether rival explanations account for the pattern
- Select cases that vary on the factor of interest
Hints
- Definition comes before case selection.
- Ruling out rivals precedes stating the finding.
Show the answer
- State the concept precisely enough for someone else to apply it
- Select cases that vary on the factor of interest
- Measure the outcome in each case
- Check whether rival explanations account for the pattern
- State the finding with its scope conditions
Why
The fourth step is what separates comparison from illustration. Finding two countries that fit a story is easy; showing that the obvious alternative explanations do not fit it as well is the work, and stating the scope conditions is what stops the finding from being over-applied.
Practise Politics, and the Science of It
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