Abstract
Whereas there is a rich literature that discusses what is a good theory, in this article we focus on the much-neglected topic of how to develop the bare minimum of what can possibly be considered theory. Only by carefully studying and understanding the bare minimum can we really understand the essence of what makes a theory a theory. We draw from formal axiology to provide guidelines for developing precise, bare minimum definitions of things and then we apply these guidelines to develop a minimalist definition of a theory: an explanation of the relationship between two or more measurable concepts.
Recommended Citation
Okoli, Chitu, "Definitional Definitions and the Bare Minimum of Theory" (2019). AMCIS 2019 Proceedings. 14.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2019/meta_research_is/meta_research_is/14
Definitional Definitions and the Bare Minimum of Theory
Whereas there is a rich literature that discusses what is a good theory, in this article we focus on the much-neglected topic of how to develop the bare minimum of what can possibly be considered theory. Only by carefully studying and understanding the bare minimum can we really understand the essence of what makes a theory a theory. We draw from formal axiology to provide guidelines for developing precise, bare minimum definitions of things and then we apply these guidelines to develop a minimalist definition of a theory: an explanation of the relationship between two or more measurable concepts.