Multilevel governance as a research approach has mostly been applied to explain governance problématiques surrounding the European Union or international organizations. As a general research framework in the area of IR theory, however, multilevel governance has widely been underutilized, despite the many advantages the approach offers in the empirical investigation of an increasingly complex international or global system. This is especially true in regard to the investigation of dynamic aspects and processes of global governance. This paper provides an overview of some of the core assumptions and methodologies of a multilevel global governance framework and provides examples, how existing research programs and traditions can benefit from including this approach and its methodological toolkit.