About Theory of Knowledge Organization

Abstract

To understand the importance of theory in the development of scientific thought one has to rely on a thorough comprehension of the tools and paradigms of research. At the most basic level, theory is a frequently‐tested (and thereby affirmed) statement of the interacting requirements of a phenomenon. In empirical research, theory is both the accumulated wisdom of the paradigm from which hypotheses are cast and the constant reaccumulation that occurs as each hypothesis is tested. The essence of empirical theory is the notion that probability theory allows us to state with great precision the degree to which our statements likely mirror reality. In other domains theories have more the aura of accumulated statements that describe positions within a system. In sum, the presence of a theoretical basis in a domain, whether a single theory or a system of theoretical statements, implies not just the cleverness of the actors in the domain, but rather their scientific productivity. Theory exists in domains where a large quantity of research has been very productive at generating workable explanations and also at identifying inadequate or erroneous statements.

Portions of this text appeared as Chapter 1. Introduction: theory, knowledge organization, epistemology, culture. In Smiraglia, Richard P. and Hur-Li Lee eds., 2012. Cultural frames of knowledge. Würzburg: Ergon-Verlag, pp. 1–17. Reprinted by permission.