Comparative Methodology

We invite experts of social science methodology to come to Odense (recent guests include John Gerring, Gary Goertz and Charles Ragin) and organize yearly seminars on comparative methodology.

However, comparative methodology is also part of our research. For instance, a recent project has analyzed how social scientists use historical arguments and evidence. This project is part of an on-going discussion on how to study historical developments and reflects our firm belief in the benefits of cross-disciplinary work. Among other things, we have organized an expert survey among historians and asked them evaluate state-of-the-art political science research on electoral system choice in democratic countries in the period before 1939 (you can find a presentation of the survey here. For the results of the expert survey, please consult the article by Emmenegger and Petersen in the journal Qualitative and Multi-Method Research.

For further information contact Peter Starke.