Using TOSMANA for fsQCA
Dr. Lasse Cronqvist
FB III / Political Science - Politikwissenschaft
University of Trier
cronqvist@uni-trier.de
http://www.tosmana.net
This document illustrates a first simple use of TOSMANA for fsQCA. It aims to clarify the import of data
as well as all steps necessary for a complete fsQCA analysis. Please refer to the manual or the Getting
Started with TOSMANA Guide both found on the TOSMANA website for further information.
Based on: Cronqvist, Lasse. 2018. Tosmana [Version 1.6]. University of Trier. Internet: http://www.tosmana.net (Published: September 27th2016). The data included is taken from: Ragin, Charles (2009): Qualitative Comparative Analysis Using Fuzzy Sets (fsQCA). In: Benoît Rihoux
und Charles C. Ragin (Eds.): Configurational comparative methods. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and related techniques. Los
Angeles: Sage, pp. 87-121, data from p. 95. The data can be found in the download section on the TOSMANA website.

The following steps do illustrate the import of data to TOSMANA as well as the procedure for a simple
fsQCA analysis with the software:
1. The simple way to include data with TOSMANA is to copy data directly from a spreadsheet
program. To do so, open the data set in a spreadsheet program. Select all cells with data in thedata set and copy. Please remember to include variable names in the first row.
2. In TOSMANA, select File>Create new from Clipboard in the menu. The data will be loaded tothe software and will replace existing data. After the successful import, you should save yourfile in the format used within TOSMANA (File > Save As). The software saves the data as a XMLFile, so you can edit the data outside of TOSMANA with a XML-Editor as well.
3. TOSMANA tries to identify the type of data imported. A variable containing characters will bemarked as a possible case identifier with a green flag (1, this is the case for CaseId in thisexample). In addition, TOSMANA identifies metric data and marks the respective column witha subdivision symbol (2, here e.g. DEVELOPED). The yellow warning sign indicates that thecondition has no thresholds attached to it (this can be ignored if the data is only subject to afsQCA analysis and no cs- or mvQCA calculations are made).

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4. Data can be calibrated with the use of steps or anchor points.
a. To assign cases to specific steps, do enter the thresholds and the fuzzy-set values using
the following syntax: (threshold value 1, fuzzy-set value 1)(threshold value 2, fuzzy-set
value 2)… E.g. if you want to use four steps as a calibration for the DEVELOPED
condition in the example data set, using the values 400, 600 and 800 to separate thesteps, enter the thresholds as follows: (400; 0.33)(600;0.66)(800;1). All cases with avalue below 250 will be assigned the fuzzy-set value 0, cases with a value between 400
and 600 the value 0.33, cases showing a value between 600 and 800 will be assigned
the value 0.66 and finally cases with a raw value above 800 will show a fuzzy-set valueof 1.
b. To realize a calibration with the use of a formula, anchor points can be used.

If you want to set the thresholds as found in the formula above, enter the thresholds
as follows: (400;0)(550;0.5)(800;1).
5. After loading the data set, the fsQCA calculations can be started by calling fsQCA > Start fsQCA
from the menu bar or by pressing the F10 key. In the fsQCA-window, first select the conditions,the outcome and the case descriptor (Area marked 1). Then, select the outcome value to beminimized (2). In a first step, you can check for necessary conditions (check necessaryconditions, 3). In addition, you can calculate the consistency of the configurations in the truth
table (calculate consistency, 4).
In TOSMANA, the outcome values of the truth table are automatically determined by theconsistency threshold entered (6). The software assigns the outcome value 1 to configurations
with a consistency value above the threshold; the outcome value 0 is assigned to cases below
this threshold. Only configurations representing at least the number of cases set as frequency
threshold (5) will be included. Select if logical remainders should be included in theminimization or not (7) and press the full analysis (9) button to create and minimize the truth
table. In addition, a number of options regarding the output of the calculations can be defined(Area marked 8).

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Further fsQCA features in TOSMANAIn addition to the analysis of consistency addressed above, TOSMANA also allows to study fuzzy set
relations. To do so, please open the XY Plot from the main window (Analysis – XY Plot, or F8). One or
multiple variables can be included on each axis (1) – select multiple variable by keeping ctrl pressed
while selecting. Press the create plot button (2) to draw the XY Plot. In addition, the software calculates
the consistency and the coverage values for the fuzzy set relation (X ≤ Y).
Single points in the plot show the individual cases. Cases sharing the same values are combined to asingle, larger point. Hover the mouse over a point to see the case ID and the values of the case(s). To
show all data, deselect the checkbox hide labels (3). Save the shown plot as an image by pressing saveplot as image (4).

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