230037 UE B7 Reconstructive Social Research and Documentary Method (2026S)
Methods of Interpretative Social Research (Exercise)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Mo 02.02.2026 00:01 to We 18.02.2026 23:59
- Deregistration possible until Su 15.03.2026 23:59
Details
max. 25 participants
Language: German
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Tuesday 03.03. 09:45 - 13:00 Inst. f. Soziologie, Seminarraum 1, Rooseveltplatz 2, 1.Stock
- Tuesday 17.03. 09:45 - 13:00 Inst. f. Soziologie, Seminarraum 1, Rooseveltplatz 2, 1.Stock
- Tuesday 14.04. 09:45 - 13:00 Inst. f. Soziologie, Seminarraum 1, Rooseveltplatz 2, 1.Stock
- Tuesday 28.04. 09:45 - 13:00 Inst. f. Soziologie, Seminarraum 1, Rooseveltplatz 2, 1.Stock
- Tuesday 12.05. 09:45 - 13:00 Inst. f. Soziologie, Seminarraum 1, Rooseveltplatz 2, 1.Stock
- N Tuesday 09.06. 09:45 - 13:00 Inst. f. Soziologie, Seminarraum 1, Rooseveltplatz 2, 1.Stock
- Tuesday 23.06. 09:45 - 13:00 Inst. f. Soziologie, Seminarraum 1, Rooseveltplatz 2, 1.Stock
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
- Active participation in the course in form of short presentations and discussion contributions
- Independent reading of the required literature and 3 submissions of short summaries
- Analysis of the data materials provided using the learned documentary method in a small group;
- Presentation of the analysis results
- Preparation of a written report about it (including the required literature) including reflection on the independent implementation in the small group
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Important Grading Information:
All students who received a place in the course are assessed if they have not deregistered from the course in due time or if they have not credibly shown an important reason for their failure to deregister after the cause for this reason does no longer apply
Students who credibly show an important reason (e.g. a longer illness) for the withdrawal from a course with continuous assessment are not assessed.
Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer. The request for deregistration must be submitted immediately.
The positive assessment of all partial performances is a prerequisite for a positive assessment of the entire course, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
The plagiarism-detection service (Turnitin in Moodle) can be used in course of the grading.
The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the production of texts is only permitted if this is expressly requested by the lecturer (e.g. for individual work tasks).
In order to ensure good scientific practice, the lecturer can provide for a "grading-related discussion" of the written work submitted, which must be completed successfully.
If any requirement of the course has been fulfilled by fraudulent means, be it for example by cheating at an exam, plagiarizing parts of a written assignment or by faking signatures on an attendance sheet, the student's participation in the course will be discontinued, the entire course will be graded as "not assessed" and recorded accordingly.
You can find these and other provisions in the study law: https://satzung.univie.ac.at/studienrecht/.
In case you have received three negative assessments of a continuously assessed course and want to register for a fourth attempt, please make sure to contact the StudiesServiceUnit Sociology during the registration period (for more information see "third attempt for continuously assessed courses" https://soziologie.univie.ac.at/info/pruefungen/#c56313)
- Independent reading of the required literature and 3 submissions of short summaries
- Analysis of the data materials provided using the learned documentary method in a small group;
- Presentation of the analysis results
- Preparation of a written report about it (including the required literature) including reflection on the independent implementation in the small group
--
Important Grading Information:
All students who received a place in the course are assessed if they have not deregistered from the course in due time or if they have not credibly shown an important reason for their failure to deregister after the cause for this reason does no longer apply
Students who credibly show an important reason (e.g. a longer illness) for the withdrawal from a course with continuous assessment are not assessed.
Whether this exception applies is decided by the lecturer. The request for deregistration must be submitted immediately.
The positive assessment of all partial performances is a prerequisite for a positive assessment of the entire course, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
The plagiarism-detection service (Turnitin in Moodle) can be used in course of the grading.
The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) for the production of texts is only permitted if this is expressly requested by the lecturer (e.g. for individual work tasks).
In order to ensure good scientific practice, the lecturer can provide for a "grading-related discussion" of the written work submitted, which must be completed successfully.
If any requirement of the course has been fulfilled by fraudulent means, be it for example by cheating at an exam, plagiarizing parts of a written assignment or by faking signatures on an attendance sheet, the student's participation in the course will be discontinued, the entire course will be graded as "not assessed" and recorded accordingly.
You can find these and other provisions in the study law: https://satzung.univie.ac.at/studienrecht/.
In case you have received three negative assessments of a continuously assessed course and want to register for a fourth attempt, please make sure to contact the StudiesServiceUnit Sociology during the registration period (for more information see "third attempt for continuously assessed courses" https://soziologie.univie.ac.at/info/pruefungen/#c56313)
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
(1) Attendance and participation requirements: As the course is held in blocks, only 1.5 units may be missed; for 2 units, a compensatory assignment must be completed; if 3 out of 7 units are missed, the course cannot be passed.
(2) Excerpt submissions (at least 1 out of 3 excerpts must be submitted) (Submissions due on March 15, April 12, and April 26)
(3 and 4) Written report on the group analysis (Submission deadline for session 1: July 15, 2026 - grade due by July 31, 2026; Submission deadline for session 2: August 31, 2026 - grade due by September 15, 2026)(1) Active participation, spotlighting, and contributing constructively to plenary sessions (20 points)
(2) Reading the required literature and writing three summaries (30 points)
(3) Analyzing data using the documentary method and presenting it in a small group (20 points)
(4) Writing a group report (30 points)60 points are required for a positive assessment of the course:
1 (very good) 100-90 points | 2 (good) 89-81 points | 3 (satisfactory) 80-71 points | 4 (sufficient) 70-60 points | 5 (unsatisfactory) 59-0 points
(2) Excerpt submissions (at least 1 out of 3 excerpts must be submitted) (Submissions due on March 15, April 12, and April 26)
(3 and 4) Written report on the group analysis (Submission deadline for session 1: July 15, 2026 - grade due by July 31, 2026; Submission deadline for session 2: August 31, 2026 - grade due by September 15, 2026)(1) Active participation, spotlighting, and contributing constructively to plenary sessions (20 points)
(2) Reading the required literature and writing three summaries (30 points)
(3) Analyzing data using the documentary method and presenting it in a small group (20 points)
(4) Writing a group report (30 points)60 points are required for a positive assessment of the course:
1 (very good) 100-90 points | 2 (good) 89-81 points | 3 (satisfactory) 80-71 points | 4 (sufficient) 70-60 points | 5 (unsatisfactory) 59-0 points
Examination topics
All scientific inputs in the course, in particular the slides provided and the papers, that must be read (compulsory reading). Additional texts and references can be found on Moodle.
Reading list
Literatur (Auswahl):
Bohnsack, Ralf (2021): Rekonstruktive Sozialforschung. 10., durchgesehene Auflage; UTB.
Bohnsack, Ralf (2025): Dokumentarische Methode und Praxeologische Wissenssoziologie in der Analyse organisationaler Bildungsprozesse und ihrer Bezüge zur Macht. In: Wimmer, Christopher, Tafner, Georg (Hrsg.), Grundbildung und Habitus. Springer VS, S. 119-145.
Froschauer, Ulrike; Lueger, Manfred (2025): Das qualitative Interview. Facultas.
Froschauer, Ulrike; Lueger, Manfred (2009): Interpretative Sozialforschung: Der Prozess. UTB.
Karies, Christoph (2021): Variationen Formulierender und Reflektierender Interpretation in der dokumentarischen Interviewanalyse. In Graalmann, Katharina; Jäde, Sylvia; Katenbrink, Nora, & Schiller, Daniel (Hrsg.), Dokumentarisches Interpretieren als reflexive Forschungspraxis, Springer, S. 95-116.
Kanter, Heike (2018): Dokumentarische Methode. In: Akremi, Leila; Baur, Nina; Knoblauch, Hubert; Traue, Boris (Hrsg.): Handbuch Interpretativ forschen. Beltz Juventa, S. 479-505.
Kleemann, Frank; Krähnke, Uwe; Matuschek, Ingo (2013): Interpretative Sozialforschung. Eine Einführung in die Praxis des Interpretierens. Springer.
Nohl, Arnd-Michael (2017). Interview und Dokumentarische Methode. Anleitungen für die Forschungspraxis, 5. Auflage; Springer VS.
Nohl, Arnd-Michael (2016): Innovationen in der dokumentarischen Interpretation narrativer Interviews. In: Sozialer Sinn, 17(2), S. 329-354.
Reichertz, Jo (2018). Interpretieren in Interpretationsgruppen. In: Akremi, Leila; Baur, Nina; Knoblauch, Hubert; Traude, Boris (Hrsg.), Handbuch Interpretativ forschen. Beltz Juventa, S. 72-107.
Przyborski, Aglaja; Wohlrab-Sahr, Monika (2021): Qualitative Sozialforschung. Ein Arbeitsbuch (5., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage). De Gruyter Oldenbourg.
Bohnsack, Ralf (2021): Rekonstruktive Sozialforschung. 10., durchgesehene Auflage; UTB.
Bohnsack, Ralf (2025): Dokumentarische Methode und Praxeologische Wissenssoziologie in der Analyse organisationaler Bildungsprozesse und ihrer Bezüge zur Macht. In: Wimmer, Christopher, Tafner, Georg (Hrsg.), Grundbildung und Habitus. Springer VS, S. 119-145.
Froschauer, Ulrike; Lueger, Manfred (2025): Das qualitative Interview. Facultas.
Froschauer, Ulrike; Lueger, Manfred (2009): Interpretative Sozialforschung: Der Prozess. UTB.
Karies, Christoph (2021): Variationen Formulierender und Reflektierender Interpretation in der dokumentarischen Interviewanalyse. In Graalmann, Katharina; Jäde, Sylvia; Katenbrink, Nora, & Schiller, Daniel (Hrsg.), Dokumentarisches Interpretieren als reflexive Forschungspraxis, Springer, S. 95-116.
Kanter, Heike (2018): Dokumentarische Methode. In: Akremi, Leila; Baur, Nina; Knoblauch, Hubert; Traue, Boris (Hrsg.): Handbuch Interpretativ forschen. Beltz Juventa, S. 479-505.
Kleemann, Frank; Krähnke, Uwe; Matuschek, Ingo (2013): Interpretative Sozialforschung. Eine Einführung in die Praxis des Interpretierens. Springer.
Nohl, Arnd-Michael (2017). Interview und Dokumentarische Methode. Anleitungen für die Forschungspraxis, 5. Auflage; Springer VS.
Nohl, Arnd-Michael (2016): Innovationen in der dokumentarischen Interpretation narrativer Interviews. In: Sozialer Sinn, 17(2), S. 329-354.
Reichertz, Jo (2018). Interpretieren in Interpretationsgruppen. In: Akremi, Leila; Baur, Nina; Knoblauch, Hubert; Traude, Boris (Hrsg.), Handbuch Interpretativ forschen. Beltz Juventa, S. 72-107.
Przyborski, Aglaja; Wohlrab-Sahr, Monika (2021): Qualitative Sozialforschung. Ein Arbeitsbuch (5., überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage). De Gruyter Oldenbourg.
Association in the course directory
Im auslaufenden Bachelorstudiengang Soziologie: in Kombination mit "B7 UE Qualitative Methoden - Vertiefung" Äquivalent zu BA M3 SEUE Qualitative Methoden
Last modified: Tu 24.03.2026 15:07
Documentary analysis is known for focusing on implicit, atheoretical (and latent) knowledge alongside the manifest content of texts (interviews, group discussions) and images and thus reconstructing the motives and meaning structures of a group of actors.
Using two research areas (childhood and urban research) as examples, everyday common order and experience spaces and thus knowledge and meaning content are to be "uncovered" through step-by-step interpretation.Methods:
Group works, individual reading of relevant method texts including summaries; presentations; data analysis; written report abut the analysis process;
On the one hand, the students get a methodological insight into the meaning and purpose of the procedure - based on texts that they read independently, central assumptions of the paradigm, methodological steps and current studies are developed and discussed together. On the other hand, students carry out a reconstructive analysis on their own in small groups - based on an everyday question and the material provided. The focus is on the analysis of the data in interpretation sessions and the processing and presentation of the results (and typologies). At the end, the students' own analysis and results should be presented in a report, combined with the methodological literature they have read about the method.