Coverage in Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA): A New Fuzzy Proposition for Describing Empirical Relevance

Abstract

The parameter of fits in fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), which includes consistency and coverage, evaluate the strength of the empirical support for theoretical arguments describing set relations. Social scientist Charles Ragin proposed a formula for coverage intended to calculate how much of the variation in an outcome can be explained by causal conditions. However, this formula fails to determine empirical relevance from the analysis of sufficiency because it does not consider the set-theoretic information contained in each fuzzy value. The inaccuracies are primarily due to the inability of the coverage formula to fully grasp the quantifiable and qualitative dimensions of the concept of coverage. In this article, the author proposes a new calculation of coverage able to aggregate the quantifiable and qualitative analytical dimension of coverage in fuzzy terms.