Agreement-based minimal definitions yield necessary but not sufficient conditions.

Evidence

The recourse to minimal definitions often occurs when there is much debate over a concept. Scholars then use—almost always implicitly—Mill’s method of agreement to locate those dimensions upon which most agree: … This is a great way to start but not a good place to stop. It can give the list of necessary condition dimensions—because it uses Mill’s method of agreement—but only problematically gives the sufficient list. Essentially, these minimal definitions are an application of the Usual Suspects Guideline discussed below. — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts and Measurement, 433

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Mill’s method of agreement and to necessary/sufficient condition analysis in social-science methodology generally.
• SEED: Angle: why ‘everyone agrees on the basics’ produces checklists that can never classify a single case.