There is a dearth of research in family science that truly uses theory to inform its hypotheses, methods, analyses, and interpretation of findings. On the deductive side, scholars often engage in “post hoc theorizing,” adding on whatever theory seems to fit their findings after the fact, or fail to mention the theory at all. Similar problems exist with inductive research, with far more scholars claiming to use a grounded theory approach, for example, than actually engaging in the development of theory from their data. Mid-range theories are a promising entry point for scholars to engage in theorizing. Mid-range theories constitute the “middle ground” between formal theories and empirical generalizations, using theoretical constructs and propositions to explain or predict a particular phenomenon. This special issue brings together scholars across different theoretical frameworks and topics to theorize about families, and this introductory article presents strategies for teaching and engaging in mid-range theorizing.

中文翻译：

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关于家庭的中档理论：特刊的入门和介绍

家庭科学缺乏真正使用理论来为其假设、方法、分析和结果解释提供信息的研究。在演绎方面，学者们经常进行“事后理论化”，在事后添加任何似乎符合他们发现的理论，或者根本没有提及该理论。归纳研究也存在类似的问题，例如，声称使用扎根理论方法的学者远多于实际参与从他们的数据中发展理论。中档理论是学者从事理论研究的一个有希望的切入点。中间理论构成了形式理论和经验概括之间的“中间地带”，使用理论结构和命题来解释或预测特定现象。