Analyzing the effects of interventions is a key challenge in social science and evaluation research. Interrupted Time Series (ITS) analysis allows to examine time series for structural breaks. This paper highlights the application and limitations of ITS analysis as a quasi-experimental design. The practical application of the method is demonstrated by evaluating the amendment of the German law on fixed-term academic contracts (WissZeitVG) and its impact on the level of fixed-term contracts at German universities. The methodological challenges, such as the autocorrelation of the data, the sensitivity of the method to external disturbances, the importance of control groups, and the need for close monitoring of the characteristic of interest, are discussed.

Schlagworte
Time Series Analysis, Evaluation, Quasi-Experimental Design, WissZeitVG