Theory
Definition
A theory is a unifying explanation or description of a process or phenomenon, which is amenable to repeated testing and verifiable through scientific investigation, using various experiments led by several independent researchers. Theories may be rejected or deemed an unsatisfactory explanation of a phenomenon after rigorous testing of a new hypothesis that explains the phenomena better or seems to contradict them but is more generalisable to a wider array of findings.
References:
- Schafersman, S. D. (1997). An Introduction to Science. https://web.archive.org/web/20221109113137/https://www.geo.sunysb.edu/esp/files/scientific-method.html
- Wacker, J. (1998). A definition of theory: research guidelines for different theory-building research methods in operations management. Journal of Operations Management, 16(4), 361–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0272-6963(98)00019-9
Originally drafted by: Aoife O’Mahony
Reviewed by: Mahmoud Elsherif, Helena Hartmann, Charlotte R. Pennington, Graham Reid
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