Theory Development and the Logic of Discovery

Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss the importance of theory development within caring science and whether abduction, as a distinctive type of inference, can contribute to this. We need to understand the role of theory in our discipline, the strategies used to develop it, the criteria used to critique it, and the possibilities for abductive reasoning to enhance theory development within caring science. Abduction paves the way for a deeper knowledge of understanding and is closely connected to the ontological questions