Substruction: improving the linkage from theory to method

Substruction is a strategy to critique the theory and methodology of research. It is a process whereby a researcher identifies the major variables in a study, analyzes the levels of abstraction among the variables, identifies hypothesized relationships between variables, and connects the theoretical basis of the study to the methodology. A model of substruction is presented which incorporates terminology to facilitate a fuller explication of the linkages between the theoretical and operational systems. An example of substruction from the published literature is presented.