Comparative Research on World-System Characteristics

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Abstract
This article is a discussion of the methodological problems of testing causal propositions relating variables that are characteristics of the world-system as a whole. A short summary of the world-system perspective on international relations suggests a number of hypotheses regarding processes that operate at the level of the whole system. The feasibility of testing these propositions with the time-series method of analysis of a single case is discussed, and problems arising from the use of this research design are considered. There are eight anticipated problems regarding operationalization and measurement: (1) bounding and mapping the system and its constituent zones; (2) validity and reliability of measures over time; (3) limitations of aggregating data on nation-states to create contextual world-system variables; (4) transformation of nation-state data to make it more suitable for world-system research; (5) combining data from different sources in the same indicator; (6) noncontinuous data series; (7) the width of a time point and measurement error in time; and (8) the small number of instances of long-run processes over the 500-year history of the world-system. It is suggested that, although this approach to research is fraught with difficulties, it holds promise for helping to take the world-system perspective beyond its present status as a fruitful paradigm for interpreting history toward a causal understanding of the developmental logic of the system.

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