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Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Can They Be Joined?
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Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Can They Be
Joined? (Not By Causal Process Observations!)
Nathaniel Beck
∗
Draft of August 28, 2006. Prepared for the 2006 Annual Meeting of the
American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, Sept., 2006
ABSTRACT
Brady, Collier and Seawright have argued that “causal process observations” canbe adjoined to “data set observations.” This implies that qualitative methodscan be used to add information to problematic quantitative data sets and hencecan solve quantitative research design issues. In a recent symposium in PoliticalAnalysis I argued that such qualitative information cannot be adjoined in anymeaningful way to quantitative data sets. In that symposium the original authorsoffered several defenses. Here I consider those defenses. In particular, I arguethat the “causal process observations” are useful either for the explanation ofspecific events, or to help in the theory building process (or in any other waythat qualitative analysts find them useful); but, they are not capable of being“adjoined” to standard quantitative data. Furthermore, there appears to beambiguity in how BCS use the term ”causal process observation,” and whetherthe BCS usage covers items that look more like “data set observations.”
∗
Department of Politics; New York University; New York, NY 10003 USA; nathaniel.## email not listed ##.
Thanks to Henry Brady and David Collier for many extremely civil conversations, and to Gary King, BernardManin, Adam Przeworski and Jas Sekhon for comments on this paper. None of these people are to be blamedfor my thoughts, but I hope I faithfully transcribed some of their thoughts.
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| | Authors: Beck, Nathaniel. |
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Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Can They Be
Joined? (Not By Causal Process Observations!)
Nathaniel Beck
∗
Draft of August 28, 2006. Prepared for the 2006 Annual Meeting of the
American Political Science Association, Philadelphia, Sept., 2006
ABSTRACT
Brady, Collier and Seawright have argued that “causal process observations” can
be adjoined to “data set observations.” This implies that qualitative methods
can be used to add information to problematic quantitative data sets and hence
can solve quantitative research design issues. In a recent symposium in Political
Analysis I argued that such qualitative information cannot be adjoined in any
meaningful way to quantitative data sets. In that symposium the original authors
offered several defenses. Here I consider those defenses. In particular, I argue
that the “causal process observations” are useful either for the explanation of
specific events, or to help in the theory building process (or in any other way
that qualitative analysts find them useful); but, they are not capable of being
“adjoined” to standard quantitative data. Furthermore, there appears to be
ambiguity in how BCS use the term ”causal process observation,” and whether
the BCS usage covers items that look more like “data set observations.”
∗
Department of Politics; New York University; New York, NY 10003 USA; nathaniel.## email not listed ##.
Thanks to Henry Brady and David Collier for many extremely civil conversations, and to Gary King, Bernard
Manin, Adam Przeworski and Jas Sekhon for comments on this paper. None of these people are to be blamed
for my thoughts, but I hope I faithfully transcribed some of their thoughts.
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