TY - JOUR
T1 - A logical toolkit for theory (re)construction
AU - Bruggeman, Jeroen
AU - Vermeulen, Ivar
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - The social sciences have achieved highly sophisticated methods for data collection and analysis, leading to increased control and tractability of scientific results. Meanwhile, methods for systematizing these results, as well as new ideas and hypotheses, into sociological theories have seen little progress, leaving most sociological arguments ambiguous and difficult to handle, and impairing cumulative theory development. Sociological theory, containing many valuable ideas and insights, deserves better than this. As a way out of the doldrums, this paper presents a systematic approach to computer-supported logical formalization, that is widely applicable to sociological theory and other declarative discourse. By increasing rigor and precision of sociological arguments, they become better accessible to critical investigation, thereby raising scientific debate to a new level. The merits of this approach are.
AB - The social sciences have achieved highly sophisticated methods for data collection and analysis, leading to increased control and tractability of scientific results. Meanwhile, methods for systematizing these results, as well as new ideas and hypotheses, into sociological theories have seen little progress, leaving most sociological arguments ambiguous and difficult to handle, and impairing cumulative theory development. Sociological theory, containing many valuable ideas and insights, deserves better than this. As a way out of the doldrums, this paper presents a systematic approach to computer-supported logical formalization, that is widely applicable to sociological theory and other declarative discourse. By increasing rigor and precision of sociological arguments, they become better accessible to critical investigation, thereby raising scientific debate to a new level. The merits of this approach are.
U2 - 10.1111/1467-9531.00115
DO - 10.1111/1467-9531.00115
M3 - Article
VL - 32
SP - 183
EP - 217
JO - Sociological methodology
JF - Sociological methodology
SN - 0081-1750
IS - 1
ER -