Join leading international scholars in Rotterdam this December to advance configurational research and address our world's most pressing causal complexities.
- Date
- Monday 7 Dec 2026, 09:00 - Wednesday 9 Dec 2026, 17:00
- Type
- Conference
- Spoken Language
- English
- Room
- 14th floor
- Building
- Mandeville Building
- Location
- Campus Woudestein
Introduction
Contemporary social, organisational, and economic phenomena are characterised by interconnected conditions, multiple causal pathways, and rapidly changing contexts. As digitalisation transforms organizations and urban areas face intertwined social, housing, and sustainability challenges, traditional research methods often fall short.
The European QCA Conference 2026 brings together researchers who apply, develop, teach, and critically discuss Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and related configurational approaches. We warmly welcome scholars from diverse disciplines to join us in Rotterdam to share ideas, present new research, and discuss methodological advancements.
Preliminary programme
Discover the core timeline of events, including our keynote sessions, expert panel discussions, and community networking blocks.
Note: Please note, that conference will be on-site only. Participants are welcome to register even if they are not submitting an abstract or proposal. The detailed programme will be shared closer to the date.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 13.00-13.30 | Check-in & coffee |
| 13.30-13.50 | Welcome note |
| 13.50-14.30 | Keynote speech Understanding Causal Complexity by Frederica Russo |
| 14.30-15.00 | Break |
| 15.00-16.20 | Methods Workshop* 1 |
| 16.20-16.30 | Break |
| 16.30-17.50 | Methods Workshop* 2 |
| 17.50-18.00 | Break |
| 18.00-18.20 | Closing remarks |
| 18.20-19.00 | Travel to networking dinner |
| 19.00-22.00 | Murder Mystery Dinner |
*Methods Workshops
Workshops may address introductory or advanced topics, including calibration; truth-table analysis; robustness; software use; approaches to time, process and QCA; mixed-method designs; unusual types of data; or reporting standards. Depending on the number and nature of the submissions, the organising committee may contact applicants to coordinate or refine proposed sessions.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9.00–9.30 | Coffee & breakfast |
| 09.30-10.30 | Paper Development Workshop*/Expert Corner 1 |
| 10.30-11.00 | Break |
| 11.00-12.00 | Paper Development Workshop*/Expert Corner 2 |
| 12.00-13.30 | Lunch |
| 13.30-14.15 | Keynote speech The Future of Configurational Theorising by Joep Cornelissen |
| 14.15-15.15 | Panel discussion |
| 15.15-15.30 | QCA Community Initiatives |
| 15.30-16.00 | Break |
| 16.00-17.30 | Best Paper Awards |
| 17.30-19.00 | Travel to networking dinner by watertaxi |
| 19.00 onwards | Networking Dinner |
*Paper Development Workshop (PDW)
PDW is for (early-career) researchers using QCA for the first time or who are at a mid or advanced stage of applying QCA. It is open to researchers, particularly PhD-researchers and postdocs, working in various domains. The paper will be reviewed and discussed constructively by experts during the workshop. Submissions may address any topic in the social sciences, including (but not limited to) urban studies, digitalisation, entrepreneurship, transformations, etc.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9.00–9.30 | Coffee & breakfast |
| 09.30-10.30 | Method Development Paper* session 1 |
| 10.30-11.00 | Break |
| 11.00-11.40 | Method Development Paper* session 2 |
| 11.40-11.50 | Break |
| 11.50-12.30 | Method Development Paper* session 3 |
| 12.30-13.00 | Closing remarks |
| 13.00-14.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00-15.30 | COMPASS meeting |
| 15.30-18.00 | Rotterdam city tour |
| 18.00-22.00 | Expert dinner |
*Method Development Papers
Papers that develop, evaluate, compare, or critically examine QCA and related configurational methods will be presented and discussed. Method development submissions should clearly identify the methodological problem, the proposed contribution, the supporting analysis or argument, and the implications for researchers.
Call for Papers
The official Call for Papers outlines the submission tracks and guidelines for this year's conference. We are especially seeking contributions that apply QCA to digitalisation, comparative urbanism, and other complex societal or organisational phenomena. Please review the submission requirements and evaluation criteria before submitting.
The deadline for all abstract and workshop proposals is 1 October 2026 (11:59 PM CET). Registration will open soon.
Important dates & deadlines
| Date | Deadline |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | Registration will open soon. |
| 1 October 2026 | Proposal and abstract submission deadline. |
| 15 October 2026 | Acceptance notification. |
| 15 November 2026 | Submission deadline for updated papers/materials. |
Registration fees: €150 for attendance at the full three-day conference. There will be an opportunity to apply for a registration fee waiver.
Practical matters
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