This paper discusses rationales for comparative work in education and draws on two projects on analysing publications in educational journals internationally. It uses the cases of Germany and England to illustrate the points made. The paper outlines some of the major developments in education in these two countries and identifies their implications for the work of academics in this discipline. The main argument is that the analysis of journal publications provides for tracking of the development of academic disciplines, and that the comparisons of publication patterns in two countries offers insights into the particular starting points and trajectories of a field of study such as education.