“Charles Ragin’s Redesigning Social Inquiry offers social scientists, both qualitative and quantitative, and their readers new ways to analyze social phenomena clearly, honestly, and effectively. Readers prepared to invest a few hours will find a new world of analytic possibilities and understanding open to them. Imagine having techniques, easy to understand and implement, whose results really speak to questions we all care about!”

Howard S. Becker, author of Writing for Social Scientists

“Redesigning Social Inquiry is aimed at social scientists looking to escape the banality of everyday quantitative research, and here they’ll find a sophisticated way out of all the by-the-numbers work. But this book also speaks to those of us who have a profound knowledge of cases and want to explore the implications of this understanding. With this rigorous yet accessible book, Charles Ragin has completed his mission to reorient social science.”

Edwin Amenta, University of California, Irvine

“Once upon a time, historically oriented social scientists had to choose between the empirical richness of the case study method and the inferential appeal of ‘large n’ statistical studies. Charles Ragin has worked tirelessly for twenty years to create and refine a ‘third way;’ one that reconciles the general appeal of these two approaches. In Redesigning Social Inquiry Ragin has brought new sophistication to his ‘comparative case method,’ while rendering it even more accessible than before. On behalf of comparative historical researchers everywhere, I can only say ‘thanks.’”

Doug McAdam, Stanford University

"Ragin’s work takes basic working notions about sociological research and forces readers to challenge fallacies and limitations of their own academic training. Any sociological methods professor who can smugluy occupy one of the easy chairs of methodological dogma after reading Redesigning Social Inquiry probably should visit the benefits office . . . to discuss an expedited retirement plan."

David K. Brown | Teaching Sociology

"Redesigning Social Inquiry deals with important methodological details and should be of particular interest to those familiar with Qualitative Comparative Analysis."

Swiss Political Science Review (translated from German)