THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEORY AND RESEARCH.

The article presents a note from the editor which focuses on the relationship between theory and research. As the editor of "Forum," one primary criticism made by the author is that theory in submitted manuscripts adds little to the understanding of the topic. According to the author, a theory is an explanation of a sociological phenomenon. In analyses of the substance of citations sociologists of science have found that a high portion, about 60%, of citations to theorists are ceremonial. It is incumbent on the author to show how the theory adds to the understanding of the subject matter of the article. Also, authors must realize that adding references to or quotations from famous theorists does not absolve them from making their articles truly theoretical. To do this, authors should begin their articles by clearly defining the problem that the research is aimed at solving. After the problem is defined, the material, whether it be qualitative or quantitative data or analysis of existing literature, that helps solve the problem is presented. The article is truly theoretical if it presents a credible solution to the problem it deals with.