STEP 2: SUMMARY:

Swedberg, R. (2014). Theorizing in Social Science: The Context of Discovery.

Stanford, California: Stanford Social Sciences. Retrieved from:

http://search.ebscohost.com.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=713605&lang=es&site=eds-live&scope=site

Theorizing refers to what an investigator does when he produces a theory and to the
thought process before having a final product. And the theory is the end product. These
two complement each other. For a theory to be successful, it is important that the
researcher inquires about the subject and draws on his experiences. To accomplish this,
the researcher he has to enter the investigation with an understanding of his "complete
ignorance" of the situation (Durkheim [1895] 1982: 246, emphasis added). The Full
Research Process (The Prestudy and the Main Study):

Phase 1: The Prestudy or the Theorizing and Early Discovery Phase:

—Observe and Then Choose Something Interesting or Surprising to Study.

—Name the Phenomenon and Formulate the Central Concept.

—Build Out the Theory.

—Complete the Tentative Theory, Including the Explanation.

Phase 2: The Main Study or The Phase of Major Research and Justification:

—Draw up the Research Design.

- Execute the Research Design.

—Write Up the Results.
The Basic Steps of Theorizing in Social Science:
Step 1: Observe, and Choose Something Interesting to Investigate. You can only
theorize on the basis of observation.
Step 2: Name and Formulate the Central Concept Give a name to what you
observe and try to formulate a central concept based on it.
Step 3: Build Out the Theory Give body to the central concept by outlining the
structure, pattern, or organization of the phenomenon.
Step 4: Complete the Tentative Theory, Including the Explanation Formulate or
model a full tentative theory of the phenomenon, with special emphasis on the
explanation that constitutes the natural end of the theorizing process.
It is also important to mention that in the social sciences, theories and the
construction of theories are strongly associated with the method. Determined
attempts are made to propose protocols and prescriptions that educate the
inexperienced on how to give coherent and defensible meaning to the data chaos.
Intuitional theorizing is not limited to such areas, as suggested by anecdotal
evidence that scientists give us about how intuition matters to them.