Search found 17 matches

by Tasha Fairfield
Sat Dec 31, 2016 8:04 pm
Forum: II.2. Evidence from researcher interactions with human participants
Topic: Let's Focus on Research Transparency
Replies: 5
Views: 16266

Re: Let's Focus on Research Transparency

Second, however, several participants in these exchanges noted (as I would as well) that traditional methods training, which is historically weak on interview methodology, is particularly so on questions of transparency and reporting of interview data. This is, therefore, an area where identificati...
by Tasha Fairfield
Mon Dec 26, 2016 8:54 pm
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Highest hopes and worst fears re analytic transparency?
Replies: 2
Views: 8207

Re: Highest hopes and worst fears re analytic transparency?

Good question. My highest hope is that the move towards analytic transparency will bring greater recognition to high-quality qualitative research. That would indeed be excellent. Qualitative research is just as challenging if not more so that other methodological approaches, and it would be great f...
by Tasha Fairfield
Mon Dec 19, 2016 3:28 am
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Highest hopes and worst fears re analytic transparency?
Replies: 2
Views: 8207

Highest hopes and worst fears re analytic transparency?

As a way to reflect across various of the discussion threads, what are your hopes and fears regarding any norms that might emerge on analytic transparency for comparative and process tracing research? To get things going, I hope that this process will encourage us to think more carefully about our e...
by Tasha Fairfield
Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:46 pm
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: What problem does access to evidence and transparency address?
Replies: 12
Views: 29126

Re: What problem does access to evidence and transparency address?

I'm finally getting around to responding to Marcus' earlier post on the Bayesian approach. I agree that the Bayesian framework provides a very useful framework for analytical transparency (despite a number of challenges), and it helps us take background information seriously, as Marcus rightly notes...
by Tasha Fairfield
Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:36 am
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Presenting our evidence
Replies: 20
Views: 44833

Re: Presenting our evidence (and the absence of evidence or data)

Thank you for these thoughts Rick. Making inferences from interview information certainly requires careful thought. I would encourage you to take a look at my paper with A.E. Charman--we devote a whole section to talking about how to define and analyze interview evidence from a Bayesian perspective....
by Tasha Fairfield
Sat Nov 19, 2016 6:12 pm
Forum: II.1. Text-based sources
Topic: Documenting use of text-based or non-text-based sources
Replies: 27
Views: 74595

Re: Documenting use of text-based or non-text-based sources

We have an interesting post stream recently started on the comparative/process tracing blog that it quite relevant to the discussion ongoing here and would welcome further comments. I'm taking the liberty of quoting PAHall's post here as well: "Surely a concern for all non-statistical studies i...
by Tasha Fairfield
Sat Nov 19, 2016 5:56 pm
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Background knowledge and transparency
Replies: 1
Views: 7098

Re: Background knowledge and transparency

Thank you very much for these comments Peter. I entirely agree--background information is extremely important, and we should aim to explain how it informs our analytical judgements, but within reason. There is no way to enumerate all of the background knowledge on which we draw. I think authors need...
by Tasha Fairfield
Sun Nov 06, 2016 8:32 am
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Formalizing our thinking? Bayesianism and alternatives
Replies: 4
Views: 11154

Re: Formalizing our thinking? Bayesianism and alternatives

I expect that a range of practices will emerge, with some researchers using formal Bayesian analysis extensively on many pieces of evidence, both in their own thinking and in their publications, and others using it infrequently or not at all. I am interested in what Tasha and others have to say on ...
by Tasha Fairfield
Wed Oct 26, 2016 3:01 pm
Forum: I.3. Power and Institutions
Topic: Power and the Institutionalization of Research Transparency/Openness/Explicitness
Replies: 12
Views: 25947

Re: Power and the Institutionalization of Research Transparency/Openness/Explicitness

I would like to agree with Jane that this kind of requirement could serve as a significant disincentive for conducting qualitative research, which has made major contributions across all fields of political science--alongside concerns about human subjects, and the problem of access to key informants...
by Tasha Fairfield
Wed Oct 26, 2016 2:07 pm
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: What problem does access to evidence and transparency address?
Replies: 12
Views: 29126

Re: What problem does access to evidence and transparency address?

Thank you Jane, We are aiming to discuss both process tracing and comparative analysis. On process tracing, you might take a look at the thread on Bayesianism and alternatives, where we've posted some links to current works on this topic. More generally, we would welcome any thoughts on specific pro...
by Tasha Fairfield
Thu Oct 20, 2016 5:02 pm
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Formalizing our thinking? Bayesianism and alternatives
Replies: 4
Views: 11154

Re: Formalizing our thinking? Bayesianism and alternatives

The comments below are all relevant to this thread, so I've moved them here. Do also have a look at Andy Bennett's previous post on Bayesianism and transparency. Hillel Soifer: I'm taking the liberty of pulling Ingo's quote from another thread here to ask this question more generally: should all qua...
by Tasha Fairfield
Sun Oct 09, 2016 6:33 am
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Presenting our evidence
Replies: 20
Views: 44833

Re: Presenting our evidence (and the absence of evidence or data)

Thank for your post Veronica! These are all interesting points. Regarding the Bleich and Pekkanen article, I think its important to point out that their perspective comes from survey research, where the norm is random sampling from a population, and things like response rates, non-response bias, and...
by Tasha Fairfield
Mon Oct 03, 2016 6:08 am
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Transparency in case selection
Replies: 10
Views: 21413

Re: Transparency in case selection

A quick note to add that I agree with both Ryan and Heather. Most qualitative research is inductive, and very often cases are identified and scored during the process of research, not from the outset. I would add that inductive research of this type is fully justified within a Bayesian framework. Ba...
by Tasha Fairfield
Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:53 am
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Presenting our evidence
Replies: 20
Views: 44833

Re: Presenting our evidence

Thank you for these thoughts. I think your comments on right on, and they go to the core issue of what expectations are both reasonable for authors and also helpful for readers. I would agree that we gather so much "background information" (in Bayesian terms) that informs our inferences th...
by Tasha Fairfield
Tue Sep 06, 2016 3:38 pm
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Formalizing our thinking? Bayesianism and alternatives
Replies: 4
Views: 11154

Formalizing our thinking? Bayesianism and alternatives

How useful are frameworks for formalizing our thinking in process tracing research (e.g. Bayesian analysis; Van Evera’s process tracing tests), and how desirable is their explicit application in empirical work? For reference, examples of these approaches and how and when they might be applied in pra...
by Tasha Fairfield
Tue Sep 06, 2016 12:23 pm
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: Presenting our evidence
Replies: 20
Views: 44833

Presenting our evidence

How should scholars present the evidentiary basis of their analysis? Is it best to discuss the evidence holistically as part of the published analysis? Should we use active citations? When might compiling a list of specific pieces of evidence be helpful?
by Tasha Fairfield
Tue Sep 06, 2016 12:18 pm
Forum: III.1. Comparative methods and process tracing
Topic: How can we draw on existing practices?
Replies: 3
Views: 11069

Exemplars of process tracing and historical analysis

Building on Hillel's question, what are some exemplars of process tracing and/or comparative historical analysis that could inform our discussion of transparency, and what are the features that make these works compelling?