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Selecting Independent Variables: Competing Recommendations for Factor-Centric and Outcome-Centric Research Designs

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The decision as to which variables should be included in a quest for explanation is both a fundamental and a tricky decision in any research design. On the one hand, it is practically impossible to include all variables that could possibly have any explanatory value. On the other hand, it is equally problematic to focus completely on one variable considered important and thereby ignore all others. This chapter discusses some basic methodological choices which must be confronted when selecting independent variables for a research project and the trade-offs associated with these choices.

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© 2007 Ulrich Sieberer

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Sieberer, U. (2007). Selecting Independent Variables: Competing Recommendations for Factor-Centric and Outcome-Centric Research Designs. In: Gschwend, T., Schimmelfennig, F. (eds) Research Design in Political Science. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230598881_9

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