Typology (social science research method)

{{other uses|Typology (disambiguation)}}

Typology is a composite measure that involves the classification of observations in terms of their attributes on multiple variables. Such classification is usually done on a nominal scale.{{cite book|author=Earl Babbie|title=The Practice of Social Research|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-aza3qSULoC&pg=PA184|date=1 January 2012|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=1-133-04979-6|page=184}} Typologies are used in both qualitative and quantitative research.

An example of a typology would be classification such as by age and health: young-healthy, young-sick, old-healthy, old-sick.

Typological theorizing is the development of theories about configurations of variables that constitute theoretical types.{{Cite book|last1=George|first1=Alexander L.|title=Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences|last2=Bennett|first2=Andrew|date=2005|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=978-0-262-30307-1|pages=233–262|oclc=944521872}} According to Andrew Bennett and Alexander George, typological theories are useful "to address complex phenomena without oversimplifying, clarify similarities and differences among cases to facilitate comparisons, provide a comprehensive inventory of all possible kinds of cases, incorporate interactions effects, and draw attention to... kinds of cases that have not occurred."