Co-Variational Analysis

Abstract

We call the first research approach to small-N studies co-variational analysis (COV). This methodological approach presents empirical evidence of the existence of co-variation between an independent variable X and a dependent variable Y to infer causality. This approach has dominated the thinking about small-N research designs since the 1970s. We present it here as the first approach because it has been central to most of the methodological reflections on small-N research designs. Nevertheless, as we will see at the end of this chapter, because of its inherent limitations, it seems wise to complement this approach with other approaches, especially with elements from the causal-process tracing approach (CPT).