Constructing cases and conditions in QCA – lessons from grounded theory

There is a need to improve the ways in which Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) handles qualitative data. To this end, we propose to include ideas and routines from Grounded Theory (GT) in QCA. We will first argue that there is a natural fit between the two on the ontological level. On the methodological level, we will demonstrate in what ways routines from GT can be used to improve interpretation, coding, sorting and calibration in QCA. We use examples from our own research into the planning and implementation of infrastructure projects to exemplify the various routines.