Comparative research has gained enormous popularity in communication and media studies in the last two decades and is increasingly conducted in international research teams. Collaboration with scholars from different countries brings many advantages, but it is also prone to conflict. Sophia Charlotte Volk presents the first systematic reflection on the conceptual, methodological, and social challenges of international collaborative and comparative studies in communication science. A systematic review of comparative studies and expert interviews with communication scholars shed light on how challenges manifest themselves empirically and what solutions have proven to be appropriate. The book proposes a phase model of collaborative and comparative research that can serve as a guide for scholars on what conditions should be created for productive collaboration in temporary research projects.

Dr. Sophia Charlotte Volk is a Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the Department of Science Communication at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. She received her doctorate from Leipzig University, Germany. In addition to international comparative research and team science, her research and teaching interests include strategic science communication, digital corporate communication, media management, evaluation and impact measurement of organizational communication.

Introduction to the Challenges of Comparative Communication Research.- Comparative Communication Research from the Perspective of the Sociology of Science.- Intellectual Challenges of Comparative Communication Research.- Social Challenges of International Collaborative Research.- Systematic Review of the Intellectual Challenges of Comparative Communication Studies.- Qualitative Study of the Social Challenges of International Team Research in Comparative Studies.- Conclusion on the Intellectual and Social Challenges of Comparative Communication Research.