Stephen Downes

Useful post from 1995 that every aspiring writer should read. It outlines five things theories are not (education writers should especially take note), offers a solid definition of a theory, and offers several arguments against theories. Here are the things theories are not:

• References are not theory - "authors need to explicate which concepts and causal arguments are adopted from cited sources...";
• Data are not theory - "observed patterns... rarely constitute causal explanations";
• Lists of variables or constructs are not theories - "a theory must also explain why lists of variables or constructs come about or why they are connected";
• Diagrams are not theory - "they rarely explain why the proposed connections will be observed";
• Hypotheses (or predictions) are not theory - they "are statements about what is expected to opccur, not why it is expected to occur."

So what is a theory. Here is their proposal: "theory is the answer to queries of why. Theory is about the connections among phenomena, a story about why acts, events, structure and thoughts occur. Theory emphasizes the nature of causal relationships, identifying what comes first as well as the timing of such events."