In legal research, 'PROCESS TRACING' as a methodology is:

Question

Accepted Answer

A.

1. PROCESS TRACING is a QUALITATIVE METHOD used to study CAUSAL PROCESSES.
2. METHODOLOGY: identify causal mechanisms by tracing the SEQUENCE of events linking causes to outcomes.
3. TYPES (Bennett and Checkel):
4. (i) THEORY-TESTING — does evidence support hypothesised mechanism?
5. (ii) THEORY-BUILDING — inductively identify mechanism from evidence;
6. (iii) EXPLAINING-OUTCOME — accounting for specific historical outcome.
7. EVIDENCE TYPES (Van Evera): (a) STRAW IN THE WIND tests; (b) HOOP tests; (c) SMOKING GUN tests; (d) DOUBLY DECISIVE tests.
8. APPLICATIONS in legal research:
9. (i) Legislative history — tracing how a bill became law;
10. (ii) Judicial decision-making — internal court dynamics;
11. (iii) Policy development — analysing reforms over time;
12. (iv) Case law evolution — Olga Tellis to Puttaswamy trajectory.
13. Hence option B is correct.
_Source: Legal Research Methodology + Jurisprudence — Process Tracing methodology (Bennett and Checkel 2014)_