A comprehensive and accessible guide to learning and successfully applying QCASocial phenomena can rarely be attributed to single causesinstead they typically stem from a myriad of interwoven factors that are often difficult to untangle. Drawing on set theory and the language of necessary and sufficient conditions qualitative comparative analysis QCA is ideally suited to capturing this causal complexity. A casebased research method QCA regards cases as combinations of conditions and compares the conditions of each case in a structured way to identify the necessary and sufficient conditions for an outcome.Qualitative Comparative Analysis An Introduction to Research Design and Application is a comprehensive guide to QCA. As QCA becomes increasingly popular across the social sciences this textbook teaches students scholars and selflearners the fundamentals of the method research design interpretation of results and how to communicate findings.Following an ideal typical research cycle the books ten chapters cover the methodological basis and analytical routine of QCA as well as matters of research design causation and causal complexity QCA variants and the methodamp8217s reception in the social sciences. A comprehensive glossary helps to clarify the meaning of frequently used terms. The book is complemented by an accessible online R manual to help new users to practice QCAamp8217s analytical steps on sample data and then implement with their own findings. This handson textbook is an essential resource for students and researchers looking for a complete and uptodate introduction to QCA.