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Between X and Y: how process tracing contributes to opening the black box of causality

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  • Christine Trampusch
  • Bruno Palier

Abstract

This article maps the methodological debate on process tracing and discusses the diverse variants of process tracing in order to highlight the commonalities beyond diversity and disagreements. Today most authors agree that process tracing is aimed at unpacking causal and temporal mechanisms. The article distinguishes two main types of use for process tracing. Some are more inductive, aimed at theory building (i.e. at uncovering and specifying causal mechanisms) while others are more deductive, aimed at theory testing (and refining). The paper summarizes the main added value and drawbacks of process tracing. It ends by providing ten guidelines for when and how to apply process tracing.

Suggested Citation

  • Christine Trampusch & Bruno Palier, 2016. "Between X and Y: how process tracing contributes to opening the black box of causality," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 437-454, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cnpexx:v:21:y:2016:i:5:p:437-454
    DOI: 10.1080/13563467.2015.1134465
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    Cited by:

    1. Mayntz, Renate, 2017. "Handeln und Struktur, Akteur und System: Die kausale Rekonstruktion von sozialen Makrophänomenen am Beispiel der Finanzkrise," MPIfG Discussion Paper 17/5, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    2. Parker, A. Rani & Coleman, Eric & Manyindo, Jacob & Mukuru, Emmanuel & Schultz, Bill, 2020. "Bridging the academic-practitioner gap in RCTs," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    3. Alvarado, Miriam & Penney, Tarra L. & Unwin, Nigel & Murphy, Madhuvanti M. & Adams, Jean, 2021. "Evidence of a health risk ‘signalling effect’ following the introduction of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    4. Fastenrath, Florian & Orban, Agnes & Trampusch, Christine, 2017. "From economic gains to social losses: How stories shape expectations in the case of German municipal finance," MPIfG Discussion Paper 17/20, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    5. Skarbek, David, 2020. "Qualitative research methods for institutional analysis," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(4), pages 409-422, August.
    6. Mikhail Turchenko, 2016. "The Rise and Fall of Local Self-Government: The Case of Petrozavodsk," HSE Working papers WP BRP 37/PS/2016, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    7. Min Xu & Jinjun Qu & Mai Li, 2022. "National Policies, Recent Research Hotspots, and Application of Sustainable Energy: Case of China, USA, and European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-30, August.
    8. Geels, Frank W., 2022. "Causality and explanation in socio-technical transitions research: Mobilising epistemological insights from the wider social sciences," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(6).
    9. Ezequiel Gonzalez-Ocantos & Jody LaPorte, 2021. "Process Tracing and the Problem of Missing Data," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 50(3), pages 1407-1435, August.
    10. Elisabetta Mocca & Michael Friesenecker & Yuri Kazepov, 2020. "Greening Vienna. The Multi-Level Interplay of Urban Environmental Policy–Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-18, February.
    11. Showalter, David & Wenger, Lynn D. & Lambdin, Barrot H. & Wheeler, Eliza & Binswanger, Ingrid & Kral, Alex H., 2021. "Bridging institutional logics: Implementing naloxone distribution for people exiting jail in three California counties," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).

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