Creating Social Science Theory

A Practical Guide to Theory Development
1. Auflage 2027
ISBN: 978-1-041-24243-7
Verlag: Taylor & Francis

Buch, Englisch, 270 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Creating Social Science Theory bridges a critical gap in social science education by providing a comprehensive guide to natural language theory development.

Shoemaker and Lacy expertly demystify the theorizing process, demonstrating that theory creation is distinct from—yet complementary to—statistical testing. Through clear explanations and practical frameworks, the authors guide readers through exploration, visualization, and explication of theoretical concepts and statements, offering standardized guidelines for presenting complete theories that have been sorely missing from the field. Readers will learn how to visualize relationships, explicate concepts, and evaluate theoretical statements—skills essential for creating new theories or revising existing ones. With discussions on causation, boundary conditions, and the potential role of artificial intelligence in theorizing, this text provides a thorough foundation for understanding how theories can be developed, tested, and refined.

By addressing the imbalance between methodology and theory in graduate education, this book equips the next generation of scholars with the tools to advance theoretical knowledge in communication, media studies, political science, psychology, sociology, and behavioral economics.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Shoemaker, Pamela J.

Lacy, Stephen

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Psychologie / Allgemeines & Theorie Psychologische Forschungsmethoden
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein Empirische Sozialforschung, Statistik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword

Preface

1 Theorizing

Social science theory

Ways of knowing

The scientific method Causality Summary

2 Thinking Fast and slow thinking Thinking in the sciences Creative thinking Critical thinking Theoretical thinking Summary

3 Exploration Systems thinking Reasoning and logic Logical fallacies of informal logic Abstracting and generalizing Theorizing with time Exploring concepts Exploring assumptions Exploring boundary conditions Summary

4 Visualizing Relationships

Visualization and the brain

Forms of visualization

Functions of visualization in theorizing

Relationships with multiple concepts

Visual models

Summary

5 Explicating Concepts

Disciplines and their levels of analysis

Labeling concepts

Theoretically defining concepts

Types of concepts

Potential problems

Summary

6 Explicating Theoretical Statements Specifying boundary conditions and assumptions Verbalizing simple theoretical statements Verbalizing complex theoretical statements Reciprocal relationships Theoretical linkages Ordering definitions and linkages Verbalizing relationships within models Do-it-yourself model building Summary

7 Guidelines for Presenting Complete Theories Identifying theory is difficult Theory elements Making a theory complete Formatting is important for theory Guidelines for formatting social science theory

Placement of elements Ad hoc theory formats Summary  8 Evaluating Theories A useful theory Criteria for evaluating theories Less useful theories When to evaluate a theory Summary

9 From Theorizing to Testing Why test theories How theories are tested Operationalizing concepts Operationalizing theoretical statements Creating the research design Selecting samples Collecting data Applying statistical procedures Evaluating research results Summary

10 Advancing Knowledge The origins of knowledge Intersubjective agreement The body of social science knowledge Summary

Glossary

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Pamela J. Shoemaker is Professor Emerita at Syracuse University, where she served as the John Ben Snow Professor from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Shoemaker has authored or co-authored numerous influential books including Mediating the Message in the 21st Century, Gatekeeping Theory, and How to Build Social Science Theories. Her research focuses on gatekeeping, news values, and media sociology, with her work "Hard Wired for News" exploring the biological and cultural foundations of news consumption.

Stephen Lacy is Professor Emeritus at Michigan State University, where he taught in the School of Journalism from 1985 to 2016. Dr. Lacy has co-authored several influential books including multiple editions of Analyzing Media Messages: Using Quantitative Content Analysis in Research and Media Management: A Casebook Approach. His research has focused on media economics, content analysis methodology, and journalism quality.