Dr. Burkhard Schäffer
Dr. Burkhard Schäffer is an educational scientist specializing in adult and continuing education research. For many years, he taught and conducted research as a Professor of Adult and Continuing Education at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. His work has addressed topics such as media practices across generations, perceptions of aging, orientations toward continuing education, and political crisis communication. Methodological and epistemological questions in qualitative social research have always been a central focus of his work.
Since 2020, he has been intensively engaged with the question of how artificial intelligence can meaningfully support and further develop qualitative research. This work first led to the KISOFT project and subsequently to the platform Karl AI (formerly DokuMet QDA AI), which is being further developed within DokuMet QDA GmbH, a company he co-founded and in which he has been a partner since 2021.
Today, Burkhard Schäffer focuses on linking established qualitative research methods with AI-supported analytical approaches—in research, development, and publications. The aim is to shape technological innovations in a way that remains methodologically sound and practically applicable in research.
He regularly publishes on qualitative social research and AI-assisted analysis. An overview of his work and projects can be found at:
www.burkhard-schaeffer.de
Fabio Roman Lieder
He is an educational scientist and a partner at DokuMet GmbH, the company that operates the Karl AI platform. He has played a key role in shaping the development of Karl AI—conceptually, methodologically, and technically.
A central focus of his work is the teaching of methodological knowledge and practical skills in qualitative social research. In workshops and teaching sessions, he demonstrates how researchers can work effectively with generative language models—from precise prompt design and the construction of robust workflows to the critical reflection of results. His aim is not only to convey technical skills, but also to foster an understanding of how AI is transforming research practice as a socio-technical process—and what new challenges this creates for qualitative research.
In addition to his work at DokuMet, he is a research associate in the KISOFT project at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. His research interests range from adult education and philosophy of technology to the epistemological and didactic implications of AI.
Dietmar Fischer
![[Translate to English:] Foto von Dietmar Fischer](/securedl/sdl-eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE3NzY1NjExNDUsImV4cCI6MTc3NjY1MTE0NSwidXNlciI6MCwiZ3JvdXBzIjpbMCwtMV0sImZpbGUiOiJmaWxlYWRtaW4vX3Byb2Nlc3NlZF8vMi8yL2NzbV8yMDI0MDgyOF8xMzE1MjlfNWM5ODdjMTVkYi5qcGciLCJwYWdlIjoyMTR9.Exu16XIJ7tURxwhB_-m8xPmKK7CX7GqFgjcU-UQEVKo/csm_20240828_131529_5c987c15db.jpg)
Dietmar is an economist and the managing director of DokuMet QDA GmbH. He has a strong interest in everything related to artificial intelligence. Dietmar comes from the practical side of education and worked for many years in continuing education.
Currently, he combines practical pedagogy with artificial intelligence in his podcast “Beginner’s Guide to AI.”
Dr. Franz Krämer
Dr. Franz Krämer
Dr. Franz Krämer is a partner at DokuMet QDA GmbH, the company developing the research platform Karl AI. He was already involved in the early conceptual phases of the project, from which a classical QDA software initially emerged. In 2024, he rejoined the team to help shape the further development of its AI-related components.
Within the company, Franz drives work at the intersection of qualitative methodology, product development, and technical implementation. By combining educational science with data science and innovation management, he strengthens both the conceptual and strategic development of the product and the company.
His interest in the relationship between humans and technology is also reflected in his research. For example, he has studied how apps and tracking wristbands influence adult learning and educational processes, while also contributing to the further development of qualitative methods and methodologies. An overview of his work can be found here.