ABSTRACT
A large-N comparative analysis was needed to demonstrate generality. The selected cases would need to be diverse and representative of a larger population of cases. But, a framework also needed to be constructed in a way that enables an analyst to compare the cases. These tasks were accomplished over the course of the next decade. This chapter is an attempt to increase the usefulness of turning points as an empirical concept. It consists of a large-sample comparative analysis of negotiation processes. Central to the analysis is an effort to identify factors that influence the occurrence and consequences of turning points. Turning points are understood in relation to a chronology of events through the course of a negotiation. The case chronology contains most of the information needed to analyze turning points. When viewed in terms of the complete chronology of a negotiation, a turning-points analysis can be construed as a form of process tracing.
