Abstract
Despite the number of developed theories, it still remains a difficult task for some established and emerging scholars in various academic fields to clearly articulate new theories from research studies. This paper reviews and collates the views of scholars on what a theory is and how a good theory can be developed. It explains the concept of a theory, and the different components that make up a theory. The paper discusses the different processes of theory development by emphasizing what theory is and what theory is not. This review found that scholars differ in their definition of a theory, which leads to using terms such as model, paradigm, framework, and theory interchangeably. It found the lack of theoretical constructs in a study to be one of the factors which explains why articles are rejected for publication. This paper may be of benefit to established researchers who may be struggling with theory development, and especially younger academics who are the future of scholarship in various academic fields, particularly in information science.
Highlights
Studies with strong theoretical perspectives are often regarded as adding value to any field of learning. It is essential for scholars and researchers in various academic fields to develop strong skills in theory development
It is hoped that this paper may be of benefit to established researchers who may be struggling with theory development, and especially younger academics who are the future of scholarship in the field of information science and other disciplines
Search terms such as developing a theory, theory development, how to develop a theory, and theory development in information science were used to identify studies conducted on this subject area
Summary
Studies with strong theoretical perspectives are often regarded as adding value to any field of learning. It is essential for scholars and researchers in various academic fields to develop strong skills in theory development. Under this license, authors reserve the copyright for their content; they permit anyone to unrestrictedly use, distribute, and reproduce the content in any medium as far as the original authors and source are cited. Redistribution, or reproduction of a work, users must clarify the license terms under which the work was produced
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