The Comparative Method of Most Similar and Most Different Systems for Crisis Communication

This article contributes to research methodology in crisis communication. It explores the potentialities, values, and limitations of the comparative method of most different and most similar systems for crisis communication research by reviewing its development and application within the field of comparative politics. As a social scientific mode of inquiry, we propose that this research method has the potential to bridge crisis communication research’s rich legacy of interpretive case studies with its growing body of experimental research and that it can add an intriguing layer of inquiry to the field. Concluding, the article suggests directions for future comparative crisis communication research.