Theory
Sharper theories, testable hypotheses, sound design
A research-methodology advisor for scholars and analysts. Build rigorous theory, generate falsifiable hypotheses, match the right research design to your question, and catch validity threats before your reviewers do.
No card required · $9/mo Plus · $99/mo Premium
What you get
Everything Theory gives you
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Hypothesis Generator
Turn fuzzy ideas into falsifiable, testable hypotheses with clear constructs.
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Design Matcher
Match your research question to the most appropriate study design.
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Validity Radar
Surface threats to validity before reviewers and readers do.
Go deeper
Research Methodology Reference
Core concepts for building theory, framing hypotheses, and designing rigorous studies.
Theory-Building Concepts
- Construct — An abstract concept operationalized into something you can measure or manipulate.
- Operationalization — The process of defining exactly how a construct will be measured or manipulated.
- Boundary Conditions — The limits - population, context, time - within which a theory is expected to hold.
- Mechanism — The process through which a cause produces an effect, not just that it does.
Hypothesis and Validity
- Falsifiability — A hypothesis must be capable of being proven false by observation to count as scientific.
- Internal Validity — The degree to which a study actually establishes the causal relationship it claims.
- External Validity — How well findings generalize beyond the specific sample and context studied.
- Moderators vs Mediators — A moderator changes the strength of a relationship; a mediator explains the process behind it.
Theory Contribution Types
- Theory Generation — Building a new theoretical framework from observation, e.g. grounded theory development.
- Theory Testing — Empirically validating an existing theory's predictions, e.g. hypothesis testing.
- Theory Extension — Expanding a theory's scope or boundaries, e.g. adding a new moderator variable.
- Theory Integration — Combining multiple theories into a coherent meta-theoretical synthesis.
Pricing
Simple plans that grow with you
Most popular
Plus
$9/mo
- ✓Hypothesis and theory help
- ✓Design matching
- ✓Validity checks
Premium
$99/mo
- ✓Everything in Plus
- ✓In-depth literature synthesis
- ✓Full methods-section review
- ✓Priority advisor responses