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Debating the Direction of Comparative Politics: An Analysis of Leading Journals
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18
Qualitative studies often cover long periods of time (see Table 13).
24
Thus, much
potential exists in qualitative research to increase their number of observations through within-case studies over time. Yet qualitative research tends to take the country as the unit of observation, rarely using even time to multiply observations, and thus largely missing the opportunity to increase the number of observations (see Table 14). By contrast, quantitative research has done a far better job exploiting such opportunities by frequently moving away from the country as the unit of observation and thus increasing the N. Still, as pointed out above, in the effort to increase the N, quantitative research tends to rely heavily on individual-level data that only offer one observation per year, thereby creating a blind spot to collective actors and to processes that are not captured by annual observations. If qualitative research can get beyond the fixation on the country as the unit of observation, it would appear well-poised to generate precisely such “within-year” and group-level data. In any event, the “many variables, small N” problem remains extremely relevant today.
24
The data show that quantitative studies, too, routinely adopt longer-range time frames. Hence, a long-range
temporal focus appears to cut across any putative “quantitative-qualitative divide.”
Methods of Empirical Analysis
N < 1 year
1 ! n < 5
5 ! n < 20
20 ! n < 50
n " 50 years
Qualitative
2.3
2.2
8.8
33.1
33.1
22.8
Mixed method, dominantly qualitative
3.2
6.9
5.2
37.9
36.2
13.8
Mixed method, dominantly quantitative
7.7
5.1
7.7
30.8
35.9
20.5
Quantitative
19.3
23.6
8.3
20.8
36.1
11.1
Average
8.1
9.5
7.5
30.7
35.3
17.1
Table 13. The Empirical Scope of Comparative Research III. Countries, Time and Methods
Number of Countries
(Average per Article)
The data are drawn from the variables "N_Countries," "Time" and "Method_Analysis" of the Munck-Snyder Comparative Politics Articles Data Set.N=305.
Number of Years
(% Articles Using Each Method of Empirical Analysis)
Unit of Observation
Qualitative
Mixed method,
dominantly
qualitative
Mixed method,
dominantly
quantitative Quantitative
Average
Country
6
80.1
75.9
25.6
9.7
47.8
Country-time period
117
9.6
6.9
28.2
30.6
18.8
Subnational jurisdiction
24
5.9
8.6
10.3
2.8
6.9
Subnational jurisdiction-time period
1,744
0.0
0.0
5.1
5.6
2.7
Group or organization
369
3.7
6.9
2.6
8.3
5.4
Group-year or organization-time period
348
0.0
0.0
2.6
4.2
1.7
Individual
15,205
0.0
1.7
15.4
33.3
12.6
Individual-time period
8,030
0.0
0.0
5.1
8.3
3.4
Other
338
0.7
1.7
12.8
4.2
4.9
Table 14. Unit of Observation, Sample Size and Methods
Note: The average N on Unit of Observation excludes one study of individuals as the unit of observation (N=66,0695,627,741) and onestudy with an "other" unit of observation (N=396,167). The totals for the columns on methods of empirical analysis exceed 100 % becauseindividual articles occasionally use more than one unit of observation. The data are drawn from the variables "Unit_Observation,""N_Observations," "N_Countries" and "Method_Analysis" of the Munck-Snyder Comparative Politics Articles Data Set. N=305.
Methods of Empirical Analysis
(% Articles Using Each Method of Empirical Analysis)
N on Unit of Observation
(Average)
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18
Qualitative studies often cover long periods of time (see Table 13).
24
Thus, much
potential exists in qualitative research to increase their number of observations through within-
case studies over time. Yet qualitative research tends to take the country as the unit of
observation, rarely using even time to multiply observations, and thus largely missing the
opportunity to increase the number of observations (see Table 14). By contrast, quantitative
research has done a far better job exploiting such opportunities by frequently moving away from
the country as the unit of observation and thus increasing the N. Still, as pointed out above, in the
effort to increase the N, quantitative research tends to rely heavily on individual-level data that
only offer one observation per year, thereby creating a blind spot to collective actors and to
processes that are not captured by annual observations. If qualitative research can get beyond the
fixation on the country as the unit of observation, it would appear well-poised to generate
precisely such “within-year” and group-level data. In any event, the “many variables, small N”
problem remains extremely relevant today.
24
The data show that quantitative studies, too, routinely adopt longer-range time frames. Hence, a long-range
temporal focus appears to cut across any putative “quantitative-qualitative divide.”
Methods of Empirical Analysis
N < 1 year
1 ! n < 5
5 ! n < 20
20 ! n < 50
n " 50 years
Qualitative
2.3
2.2
8.8
33.1
33.1
22.8
Mixed method, dominantly qualitative
3.2
6.9
5.2
37.9
36.2
13.8
Mixed method, dominantly quantitative
7.7
5.1
7.7
30.8
35.9
20.5
Quantitative
19.3
23.6
8.3
20.8
36.1
11.1
Average
8.1
9.5
7.5
30.7
35.3
17.1
Table 13. The Empirical Scope of Comparative Research III. Countries, Time and Methods
Number of Countries
(Average per Article)
The data are drawn from the variables "N_Countries," "Time" and "Method_Analysis" of the Munck-Snyder Comparative Politics Articles Data Set.
N=305.
Number of Years
(% Articles Using Each Method of Empirical Analysis)
Unit of Observation
Qualitative
Mixed method,
dominantly
qualitative
Mixed method,
dominantly
quantitative Quantitative
Average
Country
6
80.1
75.9
25.6
9.7
47.8
Country-time period
117
9.6
6.9
28.2
30.6
18.8
Subnational jurisdiction
24
5.9
8.6
10.3
2.8
6.9
Subnational jurisdiction-time period
1,744
0.0
0.0
5.1
5.6
2.7
Group or organization
369
3.7
6.9
2.6
8.3
5.4
Group-year or organization-time period
348
0.0
0.0
2.6
4.2
1.7
Individual
15,205
0.0
1.7
15.4
33.3
12.6
Individual-time period
8,030
0.0
0.0
5.1
8.3
3.4
Other
338
0.7
1.7
12.8
4.2
4.9
Table 14. Unit of Observation, Sample Size and Methods
Note: The average N on Unit of Observation excludes one study of individuals as the unit of observation (N=66,0695,627,741) and one
study with an "other" unit of observation (N=396,167). The totals for the columns on methods of empirical analysis exceed 100 % because
individual articles occasionally use more than one unit of observation. The data are drawn from the variables "Unit_Observation,"
"N_Observations," "N_Countries" and "Method_Analysis" of the Munck-Snyder Comparative Politics Articles Data Set. N=305.
Methods of Empirical Analysis
(% Articles Using Each Method of Empirical Analysis)
N on Unit of
Observation
(Average)
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