COMParative methods for the Advancement of Systematic cross-case analysis and Small-n Studies
International ressource site
NEWS: training, meetings, publications
Didactics: Boolean algebra and QCA logic
CCM Textbook
Who are we?
COMPASSS is a research group bringing together scholars and practitioners who share a common interest in theoretical, methodological and practical advancements in a systematic comparative case approach to research which stresses the use of a configurational logic, the existence of multiple causality and the importance of a careful construction of research populations.
Its main objective is to further develop systematic comparative case analysis as a genuine and established research strategy to study many different and diverse social phenomena. Its core disciplines are political science and sociology. Building from this core, the Centre is also open to the research community in neighbouring disciplines.
It is a place of dialogue and fruitful confrontation between qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as a locus for the integration of these methods and the further development and application of original approaches, methods and techniques, in an endeavour to develop an overall approach for systematic comparative case analysis.
It fulfils its mission through various activities, among which the development and maintenance of a resource website, scientific exchanges, a programme of research seminars and lectures, common teaching initiatives, scientific counsel for the research and policy communities, a documentation centre, and the active participation in fundamental and applied research projects at the national, European and international levels.
The core of COMPASSS is located at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KULeuven) and Universiteit Antwerpen (UA).
Co-ordinating committee :
- Prof.
Benoît Rihoux (UCL,
Centre de Politique
Comparée) [formal co-ordinator for 2002-2005]
- Prof. Geert Van
Hootegem (KULeuven,
Afdeling
Arbeids- en organisatiesociologie)
- Prof.Gisèle De Meur (ULB,
Laboratoire
MATsch - Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines)
- Prof. Peter Bursens (UA,
Onderzoeksgroep
Internationale Politiek)
Advisory board :
- Prof.
Dirk Berg-Schlosser (Philipps-Universität
Marburg, Germany)
- Prof. André-Paul Frognier
(UCL, Centre
de Politique Comparée)
- Prof. Nobuo Kanomata (Keio
University, Faculty
of Letters, Tokyo, Japan)
- Prof. Jon Kvist (Danish
National Institute of Social Research (SFI), Copenhagen, Denmark)
- Prof.
Algis Krupavicius (Kaunas
University of Technology, Lithuania)
- Prof. David Levi-Faur (University
of Haïfa, Israel)
- Prof. Lars Mjöset
(University of Oslo,
Norway)
- Prof. Daishiro Nomiya (Sophia
University, Tokyo, Japan)
- Prof. Paul Pennings (Vrije
Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
- Prof. Charles C. Ragin
(University of Arizona,
Tucson, USA)
- Prof. Marc Swyngedouw
(ISPO-K.U.Leuven)
Research teams:
- UCL : Centre
de Politique Comparée COMPASSS
| Contactperson | Prof. Benoît Rihoux |
| Researchers/scholars linked to COMPASSS | |
| Fields/subdisciplines of excellence Subdisciplines |
Comparative politics, political sociology, policy studies |
| Fields (themes) | Political
parties, states, social movements, environmental policies, policy
evaluation |
| Short description | This centre
aims at gathering together comparativists of the SPRI unit (academics,
scientific staff and Ph.D. candidates) to offer a locus of scientific
exchange (research seminars dealing with new research projects,
but also current or recently finalised projects), to promote collective
and interdisciplinary research projects, to back training sessions
(methodological sessions, sessions around new approaches and discussions
over recent publications), to exchange information on comparative
databases and interesting web-sites, to notify scientific events,
and, finally, to establish links with other similar centres around
the world. Director : Lieven De Winter |
- KULeuven : Afdeling Arbeids- en organisatiesociologie COMPASSS
| Contactperson | Prof. Geert van Hootegem |
| Researchers linked to COMPASSS | drs. Axel Marx |
| Fields/subdisciplines of excellence
Subdisciplines |
Sociology
of work, Organizational Sociology and Sociology of Economic Transformation
and Regulation |
| Fields (themes) | The quality
of work, internal and external labour markets, organizational design
and change, and economic and industrial development. |
| Short description | The section 'Work and Organisation' of the Department of Sociology (K.U.Leuven) is a research team which focuses on major issues in relation to (the quality of) work, internal and external labour markets (cf. organisation of work and division of labour), organizational design and change, and economic and industrial development. The research team conducts both fundamental as well as applied policy research. The group is currently involved in several externally funded research projects on quality of work and stress, teamwork, a panel survey of organisations in Flanders (www.paso.be), the organisational structure of start-up companies in Flanders, Poland and China, trends in organisational change in the chemical industry, innovation of products and production processes, integration of migrants on the labour market and the relationship between companies and new social movements. In relation to fundamental research, the team focuses - in several PhD-projects - on the further development of key-theoretical frameworks and methodological techniques. In relation to theory, the research group mainly concentrates on integral organizational renewal theory (based on the modern socio-technical systems theory), social-structural theories (i.e. social network theories) and institutional theories (i.e. regulation school). In relation to methodological techniques the focus is on cross-sectional and panel survey research and the systematic comparative analysis of case-studies. The section 'Work and Organisation' is also institutionally linked to the Research Centre on Entrepreneurship, Firms and Innovation (Steunpunt Ondernemerschap, Ondernemingen en Innovatie; www.ondernemerschap.be) and the Research Centre on Employment, Labour and Training (Steunpunt Werkgelegenheid, Arbeid en Vorming; www.steunpuntwav.be). |
- ULB : Laboratoire MATsch - Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines COMPASSS
| Contactperson | Prof. Gisèle De Meur |
| Researchers linked to COMPASSS | Dr.
Alain Gottcheiner Patrick Romain |
| Fields/subdisciplines of excellence Subdisciplines | |
| Fields (themes) | |
| Short description |
- UA : Onderzoeksgroep Politieke Wetenschappen COMPASSS
| Contactperson | Prof. Peter Bursens |
| Researchers linked to COMPASSS | At this moment: none directly Applications submitted |
| Fields/subdisciplines of excellence
Subdisciplines |
Political science, international relations |
| Fields (themes) | European Integration |
| Short description | The Political
Science Department of the University of Antwerp contains of four
Research Groups: Public Administration, Media - Civil Society -
Politics, International Relations and European Integration. The
latter's research agenda is conducted form a comparative politics
perspective and is embedded in the multilevel governance paradigm.
Projects concentrate on legitimacy in the EU, Europeanization and
institutional politics in the EU. Being essentially comparative
politics, comparative methods also belong to the core of the research.
The European Integration research group consists of one assistant
professor and eight researchers (2003), conducting both sponsored
practical research and theoretical political science projects. |
Last modified: 06-Jan-2008
Benoît RIHOUX, Centre de Politique Comparée
Gisèle
DE MEUR, Lab.
de recherche en MAThématiques et sciences humaines
Afdeling
Arbeids- en Organisatiesociologie
Peter BURSENS,
Onderzoeksgroep
Internationale Politiek