Cross-National Research: The Historian's Perspective

Cross-national research is a reflection of international relations, which arose with the creation of national states and their proliferation, in association with the industrial process, since the nineteenth century. It implies spatial comparisons, but comparative research now increasingly incorporates a time dimension as well. Within space-time, historians can contribute to policy evaluation and even formulation. In cross-national research, Britain has an important coordinating role to play, a legacy of its early leadership in the industrial process and its creation of a world economic system. That world role, no longer sustainable economically, is now embodied in the universality of the English language and the excellence of British universities.