Pieczara, Kamila and Eun, Yong-Soo (2014) Smoke, but no fire? In Social Science, focus on the most distinct part. PS: Political Science & Politics, Volume 47 (Number 1). pp. 145-148. doi:10.1017/S104909651300156X ISSN 1049-0965.

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Abstract

Causality in social science is hard to establish even through the finest comparative research. To ease the task of extracting causes from comparisons, we present the benefits of tracing particularities in any phenomenon under investigation. We introduce three real-world examples from 2011: British riots, worldwide anticapitalist protests, and the highway crash near Taunton in southwestern England. Whereas all of these three examples have broad causes, we embark on the quest after specific factors. The Taunton accident can send a powerful message to social scientists, which is about the danger of making general statements in their explanations. Instead of saying much but explaining little, the merit of singling out the specific is substantial. As social scientists, when we are faced with “smoke” but no “fire,” let us then focus on the part that is distinct.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Politics and International Studies
Journal or Publication Title:	PS: Political Science & Politics
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
ISSN:	1049-0965
Official Date:	2014
Dates:	Date Event 2014 Published
Volume:	Volume 47
Number:	Number 1
Page Range:	pp. 145-148
DOI:	10.1017/S104909651300156X
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published

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