Table 2 Differences between Grand and Middle-range theories [18, p. 7]
From: Data science: developing theoretical contributions in information systems via text analytics
Aspect | Grand theory | Middle-range theory |
|---|---|---|
Boundary | Unbounded | Bounded by subject matter |
Constitution | Axioms containing constructs and theoretical concepts | Propositions containing observables |
Level of falsifiability | Low | High |
Differentiated by | Philosophy | Specialization |
Legitimacy | It is primarily a means of establishing legitimacy | Legitimacy is evidenced by scope, precision and investigative tools |
Formation and growth | Fully formed from the mind of the theorist, and may grow as a result of discussion | Formed from a mass of basic observations, and grows by knowledge and experience of its scientists and researchers |
Data and generalization | Does not require data, generalization is based on the paradox of induction | Requires data, but is abstract enough to provide generalization |
Inception and systemic interactions | Starts from the outside with a total system and imposes on derived theories | Starts from the inside and possibly builds a unified system across domains |