This article focuses on the methodological meaning of the concept of contingency. I illustrate this with a study of doctoral qualification processes, which examines the methodological and substantive dimensions of the contingency paradigm. The study focuses on the way in which doctoral students perceive and conceptualize their research processes, and it crystallized the factors that influence the writing of their dissertations. Horizons of meaning and epistemic concepts, for example, play an essential role. These influence the areas of conflict that arise, the strategies for acting that the doctoral students opt for, and the consequences that result from these strategies. Dealing with contingency turns out to be the central challenge, especially in the supervision of dissertations. The study demonstrates the importance of developing competencies in “contingency encounter” in research and teaching.

本文重点关注权变概念的方法论意义。我通过对博士资格过程的研究来说明这一点，该研究考察了权变范式的方法论和实质性维度。该研究着重于博士生对研究过程的感知和概念化方式，并明确了影响论文撰写的因素。例如，意义和认知概念的视野起着至关重要的作用。这些因素会影响出现的冲突领域，博士生选择采取的行动策略以及这些策略所带来的后果。应对突发事件是最主要的挑战，特别是在论文的监督中。