This PhD will examine the EU's policy on development assistance for health. Building on the 2x2 conceptual framework, this section will propose the country case selection for the EU and Africa; introduce two analytical tools to examine the substantial and procedural dimensions of an 'EU' aid policy; and clarify the data collection and methods.

My abductive epistemological approach aims to overcome the distinction between introduction and deduction by combining both strategies in a dynamic way. Instead of imposing a fixed framework (deduction) or inferring propositions from empirics (induction), abduction reasons 'at an intermediate level' building on existing knowledge and on empirical study. This strategy will also allow me to refine the concepts and ideal types. Hence, the answers to the research question will be generated through a cyclical research process during which analytical tools, data generation, data analysis and research design mutualy influence each other.