The SFB1288 “practices of comparing” features researchers from different social sciences and humanities, such as literature, history, political science and law. The overarching question is how individuals, groups and institutions utilize the practices of comparing and how these practices operate. The act of comparing appears to be neutral and our world is dominated by ratings, rankings and statistics. This leads to the question, whether the practices of comparing are as objective and neutral as they might seem. The aim of a special research department (Sonderforschungsbereich, SFB) is to pursue interdisciplinary research over a duration of up to 12 years. Scientists of different disciplines are cooperating in their scientific projects, while sharing the same guiding questions and principles.