Comparative Method

Abstract

The comparison is a fundamental tool of the analysis. It sharpens our power of description, and plays a fundamental role in the formation of concepts, focusing on suggestive similarities and contrasts between cases. The comparison is used routinely in the evaluation of hypotheses and can contribute to the inductive discovery of new hypotheses and the formation of theories.
The forms of comparison used in the discipline of political science vary widely, including those contained in statistical analysis, experimental research, and historical studies. At the same time, the label '' comparative method '' has a standard meaning within the discipline and more broadly in social sciences: it refers to the methodological issues that arise from the systematic analysis of a small number of cases, or a " N small. "This chapter examines the alternative perspectives of the comparative method that have emerged in the last approximately two decades. Although the primary focus lies in the discussions located in the fields of comparative politics and in international studies, the application of the comparative method is in no way restricted to such areas.