This cutting-edge book facilitates debate amongst scholars in law, humanities and social sciences, where comparative methodology is far less well anchored in most areas compared to other research methods. It posits that these are disciplines in which comparative research is not simply a bonus, but is of the essence.

Introduces students to legalistic, theoretical, empirical, comparative and cross-disciplinary research methods, grounded in working examplesNew for this editionNew chapter on inter- and cross-disciplinary research essential reading for international students and students with a non-law first degree undertaking research in the areas of law, criminology, psychology and sociologyResearch ethics has been expanded to a full chapter that includes current plagiarism and imperfect disclosureBrings existing chapters up to date with the newest thinking in legal researchDrawing on actual research projects, Research Methods for Law discusses how legal research as process impacts on research as product. The author team has a broad range of teaching and research experience in law, criminal justice and socio-legal studies, and give examples from real-life research products to illustrate the theory.

This authoritative book examines the what, why and how of international comparative research. It offers a comprehensive topic-based overview of the theory and practice of comparative research and addresses the possible concerns of those both funding the research and using the findings. Drawing on illustrations from the extensive international literature as well as real-life comparative studies, the chapters guide readers through the many stages in the research process, from research design and data collection to the analysis and interpretation of findings. In a book that crosses national, societal, cultural and disciplinary boundaries, the author: - Pinpoints practical problems and directs readers to tried and tested solutions, including multiple method strategies. - Draws on examples of policy transfer to examine how comparative research can inform policy making - Provides guidance on the management of international research teams and projects This resource is the ultimate reference tool for students, researchers and practitioners undertaking comparative research projects in international settings across the social sciences and humanities.

Comparative law is a common subject-matter of research and teaching in many universities around the world, and the twenty-first century has aptly been termed 'the era of comparative law'. This Cambridge Handbook of Comparative Law presents a truly global perspective of comparative law today. The contributors are drawn from all parts of the world to provide different perspectives on how we understand the 'law' and how it operates in practice. In substance, the Handbook contains 36 chapters covering a broad range of topics, divided under the following headings: 'Methods of Comparative Law' (Part I), 'Legal Families and Geographical Comparisons' (Part II), 'Central Themes in Comparative Law' (Part III); and 'Comparative Law beyond the State' (Part IV).

Over the past decades, the field commonly known as comparative law has significantly expanded. The multiplication of journals, the proliferation of scholarship and the creation of courses or summer schools specifically devoted to comparative law attest to its increasing popularity. Within the Western legal tradition, a traditional, black-letter approach to law has proved particularly authoritative. This co-authored book rethinks comparative law’s mainstream model by providing both students and lawyers with the intellectual equipment allowing them to approach any foreign law in a more meaningful way.

Even after teaching generations of social scientists, Neil Smelser's classic book remains the most definitive statement of methodological issues for all comparative scholars and in political science, anthropology, sociology, economics and psychology. Such issues are timeless and therefore Smelser's lucid analysis remains timely and relevant. Smelser posits a methodological continuity between the comparative studies of past masters and the more recent flow of contemporary comparative work. To that end, he takes a pragmatic, critical look at the classic studies of Alexis de Tocqueville, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. His analyses respect the historical specifics and contexts of their work, but at the same time raise general issues such as cross-unit comparability, empirical representation of theoretical concepts and measures, and historical causality. The book also deals with the ongoing flows of comparative study in the social sciences, which, while methodologically more self-conscious than past work, nevertheless face a common set of issues, including causation and classification. The book's unique clarity makes it particularly useful for working scholars as well as students fighting their way through the methodological thickets of comparative studies.

This Research Handbook offers a comprehensive study of jurilinguistics that not only presents the latest international research findings among academics and practitioners, but also provides a new approach to the phenomena and nature of communicative flexibility, legal genres, vulnerability of interlingual legal communication, and the cultural landscape of legal translation.