Comparing Autocracies in Asia

While J. Gerschewski employed a mixed-methods design involving QCA and in-depth case study of the North Korean regime, P. Koellner relied on qualitative methods such as process tracing and pattern matching. The researchers also used primary sources (party statutes, internal documents of the former GDR embassy in Pyongyang) and conducted semi-structured interviews with academics in the region.

This project, which adopted a network-based approach, has helped put comparative research on autocracies on the political science and Asian studies agendas in Germany and beyond. A number of project-related panels took place at both international (ECPR, IPSA) and national (DVPW) conferences In terms of publications, the project resulted in, among others, two special issues of the high-profile international and national peer-reviewed journals Democratization (2013) and Politische Vierteljahresschrift (2013), as well as in a doctoral dissertation by J. Gerschewski, submitted in early 2014. Knowledge transfer in the form of briefing papers, public and university lectures, media contributions etc. also took place on a frequent basis.