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Qualitative research methods for institutional analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2020

David Skarbek Open the ORCID record for David Skarbek [Opens in a new window]
David Skarbek*
Affiliation:
Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
*
Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

How can economists use qualitative evidence – such as archival materials, interviews, and ethnography – to study institutions? While applied economists typically rely on quantitative evidence and statistical estimation, many important aspects of institutions and institutional change appear in the form of qualitative evidence. This raises the question if, and how, social scientists trained in quantitative methods can exploit and analyze this evidence. This paper discusses two qualitative research methods that are both commonly used outside of economics: comparative case studies and process tracing. Drawing on existing research about crime and political revolutions, it discusses these two methods and how to implement them to improve institutional analysis.

Keywords

methodsmost-similar systemsprocess tracingresearch design
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Institutional Economics , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , August 2020 , pp. 409 - 422
Copyright
Copyright © Millennium Economics Ltd 2020

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