Many comparative methodology texts present at least a brief discussion of this issue (e.g. Hantrais 2009:5-9; Pennings et al.1999: 21-26). In an influential article on comparative politics, Lijphart (1971:682)
situated the comparative method as a basic method in its own right, alongside the experimental, statistical and case study methods. Sartori (1991:243) stated categorically that comparative politics is a “field characterized by a method”. However, this did not end the disagreement as to the status of the comparative method. Kelly et al. (1982:511-515) discussed in some detail the question whether comparative education is a method or an area of content. More recently, Mabbett and Bolderson (1999:34) stated that “many of the issues surrounding the theories and methods in comparative work are not exclusive to cross-national studies... There is no distinct social science „cross-national method‟ although such
research highlights some of the issues in making scientific as opposed to impressionistic comparisons”. The idea that comparative social science is no different from any other form of social science and that it does not have any unique methodological issues is attractive from a positivist perspective because it
suggests that all social sciences use basically the same methods and because it underlines the „scientific‟ nature of comparative social science