Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Volume 17, Issue 6, Pages 625-642Publisher
ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/13645579.2013.806118
Keywords
fsQCA; sensitivity; fuzzy sets; robustness; QCA
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Fuzzy-set theory has provided researchers with a new perspective on many social-scientific problems. In particular, the method of fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) has gained in popularity across various disciplines. However, while the methodological development of fsQCA has progressed on a number of fronts, sensitivity diagnostics have only recently been put on the agenda. This article analyses how coverage as an important descriptive statistic in fsQCA is influenced by the interaction between membership function form and crossover threshold choice. Depending on the relative location of the latter, changes in the former influence coverage in either a negative or a positive direction, and to different magnitudes. This influence is not uniform but varies in relation to cases' distance from unique peak points. Although the orientation of this article is theoretical, its results have implications for empirical research. Most importantly, the influence of membership functions should become part of routine sensitivity checks.
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