Process tracing is a method used to evaluate and develop theories in political science

Political science

Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...

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The method works by extracting all of the observable implications of a theory, rather than merely the observable implications regarding the dependent variable. Once these observable implications are extracted (particularly with reference to the microfoundations of how a theory's independent variable

Independent variable

The terms "dependent variable" and "independent variable" are used in similar but subtly different ways in mathematics and statistics as part of the standard terminology in those subjects...

 causes the predicated change in the dependent variable) they are then tested empirically, often through the method of elite interviews but also often through other rigorous forms of data analysis

Data analysis

Analysis of data is a process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision making...

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It is often used to complement comparative case study methods. By tracing the causal process from the independent variable of interest to the dependent variable, it may be possible to rule out potentially intervening variable

Intervening variable

An intervening variable is a hypothetical internal state that is used to explain relationships between observed variables, such as independent and dependent variables, in empirical research.- History :...

s in imperfectly matched cases. This can create a stronger basis for attributing causal significance to the remaining independent variables.