Although empirical research on international environmental politics and
policy (IEP) will, by necessity, rely on qualitative case studies, this
methodology remains less developed than quantitative procedures. Analysts using qualitative case studies to evaluate and generalize causal
inferences can improve their research by following six key research steps.
Selecting cases carefully, drawing appropriate causal inferences, and
addressing the tension between specificity and generalizability prove
particularly important. Analysts should develop theoretically meaningful
propositions before selecting cases. Theoretically and practically interesting questions often cannot be answered with politically "hot" cases.
Drawing internally valid causal inferences requires clearly defining and
measuring dependent, independent, and control variables and selecting
cases to control for exogenous variables. Focusing on "hard cases" and
explicitly analyzing rival hypotheses produce stronger causal inferences.
Analysts should give precedence to internal validity over external validity
in their findings. Examples drawn from several environmental issue areas
illustrate the method and criteria.
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