Methods of Theoretical Research in Educational Science A Proposal for Systematization

In the context of an increasingly standardized methodization of scientific research, the question is discussed whether and to what extent theoretical research - also and especially in educational research - can also be methodically identified and developed; with the help of the distinction between three levels of theoretical research (conceptual, argumentative and systematic research) and three forms of textuality (intra-, interand contextuality), an attempt is made to systematize already established procedures of theoretical research and to bring them into a context in such a way that a subject-related access to theoretical research is possible and a mostly positional location in epistemological schools and (incompatible) methodologies is increasingly less necessary.