So What's A Theory ?

In gild to popular off your PhD yous fence that you've made a contribution to theory (see before posts on assessment criteria together with contribution). This inwards plough implies that yous set a theory, or trunk of theories, that yous are working amongst inwards gild that yous signal your contribution clearly.  This is an expanse that many doctoral students cause out with, specially inwards administration related PhDs.  The elementary query "what is theory ?" mightiness endure a useful starting point.  Theory is something which holds explanatory power.  In traditional scientific work, theory typically allows i to motion from the specific to the general. If yous railroad train a theory that liquids when heated plough into vapour from observing your kettle boil, together with then yous should endure able to apply the same theory to other liquids.  Where the theory doesn't apply so well, yous demand to refine it therefore making a contribution.  In social science, there are few problems which are besides defined.  As a result, it is non uncommon to muddle the theory that yous are using together with the context inwards which yous are studying a item phenomenon.  Think of the human relationship between the phenomenon you are interested inwards which could endure strategic change, determination making or gear upward loyalty ... together with the theoretical device that yous employ (say musician network theory, institutional theory or systems theory).  You role the latter to meliorate empathize the former.  Which is to enjoin that yous mightiness create a PhD on strategy evolution using institutional theory.  Thus, your contribution to theory rests on your powerfulness to comment on the adequacy of the theoretical explanation you tin offer.    Right from the showtime yous should endure thinking virtually the declaration that you'll construct virtually contribution.  Contribution is most frequently incremental, pocket-size together with express to the context where yous conducted the enquiry ... only if yous don't set the contribution explicitly yous larn out the eventual examiners the hard project of trying to create this for you.