Editorial: Transcending the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide in IS Research Using QCA as a Configurational, Comparative Approach

Abstract

In August 2021, we issued a call for papers (CfP) with the aim of bringing together information systems (IS) research that transcends the qualitative-quantitative divide using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) as a configurational, comparative approach. We received 35 submissions and eventually selected six papers for publication in the special issue (SI). We want to thank the anonymous Reviewers and the SI Associate Editors for their insightful and constructive feedback to the authors and the Scientific Advisors for their invaluable help throughout the peer-reviewing process.

QCA is a burgeoning methodology in IS. A cursory look at the number of publications in the basket of 11 shows that the number of QCA papers is on the rise. With the rising number of QCA papers, it is important to see how the articles published in this SI can contribute to this evolving discourse. Broadly speaking, the studies published in the SI can be categorised along three dimensions: 1. Mode of reasoning: inductive, abductive or deductive (cf. Thomann & Maggetti, 2020); 2. Theoretical approach: theory building, theory extension or theory testing (cf. Zhou et al., 2023); 3. Methodological approach: single method, mixed-methods or multi-methods (cf. Venkatesh et al., 2013; Venkateshet al., 2016).