The article looks at how researchers have been using the comparative method in social policy, sociology, and political science since the 1970s. They analyzed over 12,000 articles from top journals in these fields. The study found that the use of the comparative method became more popular in the 1990s, especially in social policy. Different techniques like case studies and regression analysis were used, with case studies being the most cited. Overall, the comparative method is seen as a way of thinking, not just a set of techniques.