apl. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Franke

Postal address

Adjunct professor Ulrich Franke
University of Erfurt
Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences
International Relations
P.O. Box 90 02 21
99105 Erfurt

Phone: +49 (0)361 737-4508
Email: ulrich.franke@uni-erfurt.de

Visitor address
University of Erfurt
Hieranaplatz 1
C03 - Teaching Building 1, Room 0036
99089 Erfurt

General and specific counselling

The purpose of the consultation hour is to discuss specific seminar and qualification thesis projects. It also provides general student advice and counselling in International Relations.

You can register here

If I have been assigned to you as a mentor, please make use of the consultation hours to discuss matters concerning your studies.

If you would like to know whether you can write your final thesis in the Bachelor's degree programme in International Relations with me, please read on here(supplement: I do not suggest topics - I consider it your task to find a topic).

If you would like to know how I envisage the structure of your seminar paper, bachelor's or master's thesis, please read on under "Academic Writing".

Notes on writing seminar papers and qualification theses
 

Format

Use a standard font type and size such as Times New Roman 12 pt, 1.5 line spacing and justified text with hyphenation. Cite consistently - in Harvard style (in running text: surname year: page number) or in Chicago style (footnote with all bibliographic details). Beware of the use of "cf." - this is only appropriate if you can find your own thoughts elsewhere (usually it is the other way round).

Presentation

Each presentation includes a 4-page handout consisting of precise and comprehensible keywords and a bibliography. Please also document the origin of your keywords (in the form: name, year, page number or page range). Each presentation should be based on (at least) 5 scientific sources of the size of an article in a scientific journal.

Essay

In an essay, you will practise making a pointed argument. Begin by briefly introducing your topic or the problem underlying your essay and the direction in which you want to argue. In the remainder of the first third of your essay, reconstruct the central argument (of your reading) to which you wish to make reference. Develop your own argument in the following (just under) two thirds of your essay, referring to other readings that you have researched independently. Don't forget to end with a short conclusion that rounds off your essay. Each essay should be based on (at least) 5 academic sources of the size of an article in a scientific journal.

Outlines of seminar papers and qualification theses (mini-exposés)

Explain your research interest (Which topic are you interested in?). Translate your research interest into a research question that is as precise as possible. Discuss the (social and academic) relevance of this question. Name a strand of academic literature to which your work should refer (Who are your internal academic dialogue partners?). Finally, answer the two aspects of the question about how you want to answer your question, namely on the basis of which theoretical assumptions and using which scientific method(s). In addition, draft an annotated outline in which you discuss each overarching bullet point in one or two sentences (see "On the structure of seminar papers").

On the structure of seminar papers

A seminar paper should be based on at least 10 scientific sources, the size of an article in a scientific journal. Two of the many ways of structuring a seminar paper are outlined below:

A. Empirical investigation

1 Introduction
- What is your research interest/topic/question? Why is this relevant?
- How is your work structured?
2 State of research
- Which parts of the discipline is your work aimed at? Who are your intra-academic interlocutors?
- Present what you have read in a coherent, meaningful way.
3 Theoretical framework/assumptions
- On the basis of which theory or theoretical assumptions do you address your topic?
4 Methodological approach
- What is your subject/case? Justify your choice of subject/case.
- Explain the (methodological) assumptions on which your methods are based.
- Describe the methods you will use.
5 Investigation/results
- Apply both your theoretical assumptions and your methods to your subject.
6 Answering the research question
- Answer your research question and tie your answer back to the state of research.
7 Conclusion and outlook
- Briefly summarise your findings and give an idea of the possibilities for further research in the light of your findings.
Bibliography

B. Literature review

1 Introduction
- What is your topic/question? Why is it relevant?
- How is your paper structured?
2 State of the art
- Present what you have read on your topic/question and connect the results of your reading in a meaningful way.
3 Critical appraisal
- Present an independent argument on what you have read.
4 Conclusion and outlook
Bibliography

On the structure of qualification papers

The following is a tried and tested suggestion for the structure of your thesis:

1 Introduction,
2 State of research,
3 Theoretical framework/assumptions,
4 Methodological approach,
5 Investigation,
6 Answering the research question,
7 Conclusion and outlook.

Set out your topic in the introduction and outline the research question, its relevance and the structure of the thesis (1). Then embed your work in existing (political) scientific literature on the topic and explain which answers to the question you are interested in have already been given by other researchers. When presenting the state of research, do not proceed in an additive manner, but rather relate the literature you have processed to each other and work out existing lines of conflict (2). Furthermore, your paper should contain a conceptualisation of the object of investigation, i.e. a section in which you explain the theoretical perspective you adopt (at the beginning of the research process) on the object of your investigation. Give an answer to the question of which theoretically informed assumptions you are making in order to be able to work on your subject at all (3). After this step, it is a good idea to present your approach - your methodology. Make it clear how - that is, above all: in which steps - you want to arrive at statements about your object of investigation and answer your research question. The premises on which this approach is based also have their place in this section (4). This is followed by the investigation itself, the processing of the case or the summarising presentation of the processing procedure. This can be done, for example, by first briefly presenting the specifics of the case or cases you have investigated and then explaining how you applied your analytical tools to your subject and what observations you made in the process (5). Towards the end of the paper, you summarise your findings, answer the research question and link your answer to the current state of research (6). You then summarise this answer in a conclusion. Critically reflect on your own approach and outline new research questions that arise on the basis of your findings (7). Whichever structure you choose for your thesis, always be aware that you are constantly making decisions while working on your research question, i.e. during the research process - be it the choice of research question, method or case/cases - and that you must justify these decisions in your thesis.

Monographs
Die NATO nach 1989. Das Rätsel ihres Fortbestandes, Wiesbaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2010.
 

Edited Volumes (peer-reviewed)
Inter-Organisational Relations and World Order: Re-Pluralising the Debate, Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2023 (with Martin Koch).
Book series "Rekonstruktive Weltpolitikforschung" (since 2016, Baden-Baden: Nomos, with Ulrich Roos).
Rekonstruktive Methoden der Weltpolitik. Anwendungsbeispiele und Entwicklungstendenzen, Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2013 (with Ulrich Roos).

Peer-reviewed journal articles 
Still lacking self-reflection after all these years? (De)stabilising factors of transatlantic relations according to German and US foreign policy experts between 2011 and 2017, Journal of Transatlantic Studies, 21: 1-2, pp. 1-29 (2023, with Hermann Kurthen).
Proclaiming a prophecy empty of substance? A pragmatist reconsideration of global governance, Journal of International Political Theory, 18: 3 (October 2022), pp. 312-335 (with Matthias Hofferberth).
Leader of the 'free world'? Studying German foreign policy by means of external attributions, German Politics, 30: 1 (March 2021), pp. 72-86.
Eine pragmatistische Perspektive auf interorganisationale Beziehungen: Der Ständige interinstitutionelle Ausschuss (IASC) zur Koordination humanitärer Hilfe, Politische Vierteljahresschrift, Sonderheft 49/2014, pp. 266-293.
Inter-Organisational Relations as Structures of Corporate Practice, Journal of International Organisations Studies, 4: Special Issue (2013), pp. 85-103 (with Martin Koch).
'They don't really care about us'! On Political Worldviews in Popular Music, International Studies Perspectives, 14: 1 (February 2013), pp. 39-55 (with Kaspar Schiltz).
At the Papini Hotel. On Pragmatism in the Study of International Relations, European Journal of International Relations, 18: 4 (December 2012), pp. 669-691 (with Ralph Weber).
Über unerwünschte Handlungsfolgen in den Internationalen Beziehungen, Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen, 19: 1 (June 2012), pp. 65-84 (with Ulrich Roos).
Actor, structure, process: Transcending the state personhood debate by means of a pragmatist ontological model for international relations theory, Review of International Studies, 36: 4 (October 2010), pp. 1057-77 (with Ulrich Roos).
Beyond the Deadlock: How Europe Can Contribute to UN Reform, The International Spectator, 43: 1 (March 2008), pp. 43-55 (with Ulrich Roos and Gunther Hellmann).
 

Non-peer-reviewed journal articles 
Inter-Organizational Relations, Academic Foresights, No. 14 (July-December 2015).
Globale Solidarität als nationales Interesse, WeltTrends: Zeitschrift für internationale Politik, 18: 4 (July/August 2010), pp. 105-108 (with Ulrich Roos).

Peer-reviewed contributions to edited volumes
Reconstructive Methods in Public Policy, in: Minna van Gerven, Christine Rothmayr Allison, and Klaus Schubert (eds.) 2025: Encyclopedia of Public Policy, Cham: Springer (online publication, with Ulrich Roos).
Abduction in Public Policy, in: Minna van Gerven, Christine Rothmayr Allison, and Klaus Schubert (eds.) 2025: Encyclopedia of Public Policy, Cham: Springer (online publication, with Ulrich Roos).
Deduction in Public Policy, in: Minna van Gerven, Christine Rothmayr Allison, and Klaus Schubert (eds.) 2025: Encyclopedia of Public Policy, Cham: Springer (online publication, with Ulrich Roos).
Induction in Public Policy, in: Minna van Gerven, Christine Rothmayr Allison, and Klaus Schubert (eds.) 2025: Encyclopedia of Public Policy, Cham: Springer (online publication, with Ulrich Roos).
Actor-Structure Problem in Public Policy, in: Minna van Gerven, Christine Rothmayr Allison, and Klaus Schubert (eds.) 2024: Encyclopedia of Public Policy, Cham: Springer (online publication, with Ulrich Roos).
Conclusion: A Pragmatist View of Inter-organizational Relations and World Order, in: Ulrich Franke and Martin Koch (eds.) 2023: Inter-Organizational Relations and World Order: Re-Pluralising the Debate, Bristol: Bristol University Press, pp. 194-209.
World Sports and Russia's War Against Ukraine, in: Ulrich Franke and Martin Koch (eds.) 2023: Inter-Organizational Relations and World Order: Re-Pluralising the Debate, Bristol: Bristol University Press, pp. 171-193 (with Martin Koch).
Introduction: Examining Inter-organizational Relations, in: Ulrich Franke and Martin Koch (eds.) 2023: Inter-Organizational Relations and World Order: Re-Pluralising the Debate, Bristol: Bristol University Press, pp. 1-32 (with Martin Koch).
American Pragmatism in Foreign Policy Analysis, in: Cameron Thies (ed.) 2018: The Oxford Encyclopedia of Foreign Policy Analysis, Vol. 1: A-H, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 14-32 (with Gunther Hellmann).
Inter-Organisational Relations, in: Renée Marlin-Bennett (ed.) 2017: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies, New York: International Studies Association and Oxford University Press (online publication).
Zur Erforschung der NATO mit den Methoden der objektiven Hermeneutik, in: Ulrich Franke and Ulrich Roos (eds.) 2013: Rekonstruktive Methoden der Weltpolitikforschung. Anwendungsbeispiele und Entwicklungstendenzen, Baden-Baden: Nomos, pp. 271-307.


Non-peer-reviewed contributions to edited volumes
Germany, in: Brian C. H. Fong (ed.) 2026: The Palgrave Geopolitical Atlas: State and Quasi-State Actors in Great Power CompetitionSingapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 103-120 (with Florian Hubert). 
Rekonstruktiv-interpretative Ansätze in den Internationalen Beziehungen und der Weltpolitikforschung: Objektive Hermeneutik und Grounded Theory, in: Frank Sauer, Lubo von Hauff, and Carlo Masala (eds.) 2024: Handbuch Internationale Beziehungen, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 3rd ed., pp. 729-755 (with Ulrich Roos).
Interpretive approaches, in: Sebastian Mayer (ed.) 2023: Research Handbook on NATO, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 84-97.
Rekonstruktiv-interpretative Designs, in: Claudius Wagemann, Achim Goerres and Markus B. Siewert (eds.) 2020: Handbuch Methoden der Politikwissenschaft, Wiesbaden: Springer VS, pp. 169-191 (with Ulrich Roos).
Eine pragmatistische Analyse und Kritik der pragmatischen Globalstrategie der Europäischen Union. Zugleich der Versuch einer Weiterentwicklung der Ethik von Charles Sanders Peirce und John Dewey, in: Alexander Merkl and Bernhard Koch (eds.) 2018: Die EU als ethisches Projekt im Spiegel ihrer Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik, Baden-Baden: Nomos, pp. 147-179 (with Ulrich Roos).
The United Nations and Regional Security Organisations in Africa, Europe and the North-Atlantic Region, in: Stephen Aris, Aglaya Snetkov, and Andreas Wenger (eds.) 2018: Inter-Organisational Relations in International Security: Cooperation and Competition, London and New York: Routledge, pp. 21-37.
Sociological Approaches, in: Rafael Biermann and Joachim Koops (eds.) 2017: The Palgrave Handbook of Inter-Organisational Relations in World Politics, London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 169-187 (with Martin Koch).
Rekonstruktive Ansätze in den Internationalen Beziehungen und der Weltpolitikforschung: Objektive Hermeneutik und Grounded Theory, in: Frank Sauer and Carlo Masala (eds.) 2017: Handbuch Internationale Beziehungen, Wiesbaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2nd ed., pp. 619-640 (with Ulrich Roos).
Einleitung: Zu den Begriffen ‚Weltpolitik‘ und ‚Rekonstruktion‘, in: Ulrich Franke and Ulrich Roos (eds.) 2013: Rekonstruktive Methoden der Weltpolitikforschung. Anwendungsbeispiele und Entwicklungstendenzen, Baden-Baden: Nomos, pp. 7-29 (with Ulrich Roos).
Rekonstruktionslogische Forschungsansätze, in: Carlo Masala, Frank Sauer, and Andreas Wilhelm (eds.) 2010: Handbuch der Internationalen Politik, Wiesbaden: Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 285-303 (with Ulrich Roos).

Working Papers
A Pragmatist Perspective on Normative Orders in International Relations, working paper for the Cluster of Excellence 243, The Formation of Normative Orders, Goethe-University, Frankfurt/M., 2009 (with Ulrich Roos).
The United Nations' oldest challenger: NATO's persistence after the bloc confrontation. A reconstructive approach, working paper for the Cluster of Excellence 243, The Formation of Normative Orders, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M., 2008.
From "collective actor" to "structure of collective acting". The meaning of "human beings" for the study of international relations, 2005 (with Ulrich Roos).


Works of Academic Qualification
Pragmatistische Weltpolitikforschung, Kumulative Habilitationsschrift, Universität Bremen, Bremen, 2016.
Eine Art Vereinte Nationen mit größerer Wirksamkeit? Zum 'Rätsel' des Fortbestands der NATO nach dem Ende der Blockkonfrontation, Dissertation, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 2008.
Vom konträren Umgang mit einem Tabu. Warum sich Deutschland 1991 nicht am Golfkrieg beteiligt hat, aber im Jahr 2001 den „Krieg gegen den Terror“ aufnahm. Eine Analyse von vier Bundestagsreden mithilfe der objektiven Hermeneutik, Magisterarbeit, Goethe University, Frankfurt/M., 2002.


Other Contributions and Miscellanies
Wichtig oder veraltet? Trumps Nato: Seit 1949 konkurriert das Militärbündnis mit den Vereinten Nationen. Damit ruiniert der Westen weltweit sein Ansehen – Zeit für Selbstaufklärung, published as: Hüterin der Charta: Das von Trump als veraltet kritisierte Militärbündnis wird wieder wichtiger werden – als Instrument eines aufgeklärten Westens, taz. die tageszeitung, 9 February 2017, p. 12.
"Rechtsstaatlichkeit muss wehtun" oder: 20 Jahre "InIIS": Symposium an der Universität Bremen, 10-11 December 2015, soziopolis.de, 2015 (with Roy Karadag, Sebastian Möller, and Marcus Wolf).

Specialisations

International organisations/institutions and world order
Security studies, foreign and historical policy
Theory and history of international relations/world policy research
Methodology and reconstructive methods
Basic research in the social sciences

Specialisations

International organisations/institutions and world order
Foreign policy analysis and security policy
Theories of international relations
Reconstructive methods of world politics research

Academic education

March 2025
Award of the title of adjunct professor by the President of the University of Erfurt

October 2024
Award of the teaching qualification for the subject area of political science by the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences at the University of Erfurt "by way of a rehabilitation"

June 2017
Award of the venia legendi for the teaching and research field of political science by the habilitation committee and the subject area council of Faculty 8 Social Sciences at the University of Bremen

September 2008
Doctorate at the University of St. Gallen as Dr rer. publ.

May 2003
Awarded the title of Magister Artium in Political Science (major subject), Sociology and Economics (minor subjects), Goethe University, Frankfurt/M.

October 1997 - May 2003
Studied Political Science (major), Sociology and Economics (minor) at Goethe University, Frankfurt/M.

Professional experience

since October 2019
Academic Councillor at the Faculty of Economics, Law and Social Sciences, University of Erfurt

October 2018 - September 2019
Substitute Professor at the Institute for Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS) at the University of Bremen

June 2018 - September 2018
Researcher at the Institute for Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS) at the University of Bremen

February 2018 - April 2018
Visiting researcher at the New School, New York (Schools of Public Engagement)

October 2015 - March 2016
Substitute Professor at the Institute of Political Science, subject area Social Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt/M.

June 2011 - May 2018
Research employee at the Institute for Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS) at the University of Bremen

October 2008 - May 2011
Research employee (i.V.) at the Department of Politics and Society of the Faculty of Sociology at the University of Bielefeld

August 2008 - December 2008
Postdoctoral researcher at the Cluster of Excellence 243 Formation of Normative Orders at Goethe University, Frankfurt/M.

July 2006 - August 2006
Research stay at the University of Sheffield

July 2005 - September 2008
Assistant at the Institute for Political Science (IPW-HSG), University of St. Gallen

Memberships

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Objektive Hermeneutik e.V.
German Political Science Association
European International Studies Association
International Studies Association

Reviewer activity

Cambridge Review of International Affairs
European Journal of International Relations
Foreign Policy Analysis
German Politics
International Political Sociology
International Relations
International Theory
Journal of International Organisations Studies
Millennium: Journal of International Studies
Perspectives: The Central European Review of International Affairs
Review of International Studies
Sozialer Sinn: Zeitschrift für hermeneutische Sozialforschung
Zeitschrift für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung
Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen