The Comparative Method - by Charles C Ragin (Paperback)

About the Book

"This splendidly original work . . . will become an epistemological landmark appreciated by many different schools of thought that have wrestled with the methodological problems Ragin raises and answers."--Daniel Chirot, University of Washington
"Charles Ragin has produced a well-argued and highly provocative contribution to the growing literature on methods of comparative and historical sociology. While not everyone will agree, all will learn from this book. The result will be to intensify the dialogue between theory and evidence in comparative research, furthering a fruitful symbiosis of 'quantitative' and 'qualitative' methods."--Theda Skocpol, Harvard University

Book Synopsis

Charles C. Ragin's The Comparative Method proposes a synthetic strategy, based on an application of Boolean algebra, that combines the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative sociology. Elegantly accessible and germane to the work of all the social sciences, and now updated with a new introduction, this book will continue to garner interest, debate, and praise.

From the Back Cover

"This splendidly original work . . . will become an epistemological landmark appreciated by many different schools of thought that have wrestled with the methodological problems Ragin raises and answers."--Daniel Chirot, University of Washington

"Charles Ragin has produced a well-argued and highly provocative contribution to the growing literature on methods of comparative and historical sociology. While not everyone will agree, all will learn from this book. The result will be to intensify the dialogue between theory and evidence in comparative research, furthering a fruitful symbiosis of 'quantitative' and 'qualitative' methods."--Theda Skocpol, Harvard University

Review Quotes

"Presents a methodological strategy designed to transcend [the] general approaches."-- "Social Forces"

"Scarcely a word in this forcefully argued book is ill spent."-- "American Journal of Sociology"

About the Author

Charles C. Ragin is Chancellor's Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine.