New designs and software for cognitive causal mapping

Bibliographic Data

ID15543643
AuthorsMauri Laukkanen (0000-0002-1960-6489, corresponding author), Päivi Eriksson (0000-0001-8172-1165)
Year2013
Volume8
Issue2
Pages122-147
Publication date2013-08-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Research in Organizations and Management An International Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1746-5648 • E-ISSN: 1746-5656
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/qrom-08-2011-1003
OpenAlexW2037569758
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited13

Purpose The paper's first objective is to develop a new conceptual framework for categorizing and designing cognitive, specifically comparative, causal mapping (CCM) research by building upon the theory‐centred and participant‐centred perspectives. The second purpose is to enable the discerned study prototypes by introducing a new CCM software application, CMAP3. Design/methodology/approach Building upon the distinction between theory‐centred (etic) and participant‐centred (emic) perspectives in social research, we first construct and apply a conceptual framework for analysing and categorising extant CCM studies in terms of their objectives and basic design. Next, after noting the important role and basic tasks in computerising causal mapping studies, we present a new CCM software application. Findings The theory‐centred/participant‐centred perspectives define four causal mapping study prototypes, each with different goals, basic designs and methodological requirements. Noting the present lack of widely accessible software for qualitatively oriented CCM studies, we introduce CMAP3, a new non‐commercial Windows application, and summarise how it is used in related research. Originality/value The framework and the studies representing the prototypes demonstrate the versatility of CCM methods and that the proposed framework offers a new, systematic approach to categorising and designing CCM studies. Research technically, CMAP3 can support the defined CCM‐prototypes, based on a low‐structured (inductive/qualitative) or a structured (nomothetic/quantitative) methodological approach/stance, and having therefore different needs of data acquisition, processing, coding, aggregation/comparison, and analysis of the emerging aggregated cause maps’ contents or structure

Construct (python library · Data science · Emic and etic · Knowledge management · Management science · Originality · Qualitative research · Sociology · Cognitive Science and Mapping · Computer Science · Engineering · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research · Software

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