Process-Tracing

Course Dates and Times

Sunday 10 July 2016

One-day, five hour course

Room 305

Faculty of Social Sciences

Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies

Lossi 36, Tartu

Hilde van Meegdenburg

h.van.meegdenburg@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Institution: Departments of Political Science and Public Administration, Universiteit Leiden

Process-tracing is a within-case method that focuses on tracing causal mechanisms. This course will introduce you to the essentials of this method, its main underlying assumptions, and its applicability. We will discuss what understanding of causality underlies process-tracing, what causal mechanisms are, how we can `trace' them, and what kind of causal inferences we can draw on the bases of a process-tracing study. Moreover, to position PT in the broader methodological field we will look at how PT relates to, but differs from other (larger- and small-N) case study methods.

This introduction to PT will take a hands-on approach, applying the new insights to concrete examples, and, when possible, to the participants' research projects. All participants are expected to have read the indicated literature, and to have familiarised themselves with case study methods more broadly, and process tracing in particular.

Instructor Bio

Hilde van Meegdenburg is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Institute of Political Science, Leiden University. Her research focuses on international security and state foreign policy-making with a particular focus on the organisation of foreign aid and military interventions.

Hilde has taught numerous advanced and introductory courses on process tracing and qualitative case studies throughout Europe.

She is currently co-authoring a book with Patrick A. Mello on how to combine Process Tracing methods with Qualitative Comparative Analysis, under contract with Palgrave Macmillan.

@Hildemeeg

Day	Topic	Details
Session 1B: 09:30-12:30	Causal Mechanisms	How can we recognise a mechanism when we see one? How to construct one yourself? In short: we will see how mechanism can open the 'black-box' of causation. +/- 1,5hrs: Lecture + small assignment
Session 1A: 09:30-12:30	Introduction	We will discuss what process tracing is, how and what it can add to our understanding of social phenomena, and how we can position it in the broader methodological field: +/- 1,5hrs: Lecture + small assignment
Session 2A: 13:00-15:30	Causation and Causal Inference	Probabilistic or deterministic? Frequentist or Bayesian? We discuss the understanding of causality that underlies process-tracing. +/- 1,5hrs: Lecture + small assignment
Session 2B: 13:00-15:30	Advantages and Limits plus Q&A	We will explore the boundaries of process tracing and discuss what types of questions it can and cannot answer, and how it can be used to complement (large(r)-N) studies. We will also reserve time for a more general Q&A. +/- 1hr: discussion

Day	Readings
Session 1.a.	Beach, Derek, and Rasmus B Pedersen. 2013. Process-Tracing Methods: Foundations and Guidelines. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, chapters 1-2. Collier, David. 2011. “Understanding Process Tracing.” Political Science & Politics 44(04): 823–30. (Blatter, Joachim, and Till Blume. 2008. “In Search of Co-Variance, Causal Mechanisms or Congruence? Towards a Plural Understanding of Case Studies.” Swiss Political Science Review 14(2): 315–56.)
Session 1.b.	Machamer, Peter, Lindley Darden, and Carl F. Craver. 2000. “Thinking about Mechanisms.” Philosophy of Science 67(1): 1–25. Beach, Derek, and Rasmus B Pedersen. 2013. Process-Tracing Methods: Foundations and Guidelines. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, chapter 3.
Session 2.	Brady, Henry E. 2008. “Causation and Explanation in Social Science.” In The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology, eds. Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Henry E. Brady, and David Collier. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 217–249. Mahoney, James. 2008. “Toward a Unified Theory of Causality.” Comparative Political Studies 41(4/5): 412–36.

Day

Readings

Session 1.a.

Beach, Derek, and Rasmus B Pedersen. 2013. Process-Tracing Methods: Foundations and Guidelines. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, chapters 1-2.

Collier, David. 2011. “Understanding Process Tracing.” Political Science & Politics 44(04): 823–30.

(Blatter, Joachim, and Till Blume. 2008. “In Search of Co-Variance, Causal Mechanisms or Congruence? Towards a Plural Understanding of Case Studies.” Swiss Political Science Review 14(2): 315–56.)

Session 1.b.

Machamer, Peter, Lindley Darden, and Carl F. Craver. 2000. “Thinking about Mechanisms.” Philosophy of Science 67(1): 1–25.

Beach, Derek, and Rasmus B Pedersen. 2013. Process-Tracing Methods: Foundations and Guidelines. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, chapter 3.

Session 2.

Brady, Henry E. 2008. “Causation and Explanation in Social Science.” In The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology, eds. Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Henry E. Brady, and David Collier. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 217–249.

Mahoney, James. 2008. “Toward a Unified Theory of Causality.” Comparative Political Studies 41(4/5): 412–36.

Software Requirements

None