The Role of Theory in Biology: How You Can Be, and Likely Already Are, a Theoretician

ABSTRACT

Theory is an inextricable component of the scientific process. Nonetheless, many researchers have an uneasy relationship with theory. This paper provides tools to empower researchers to place their work within a theoretical framework, and to aid them in building and using theories. Theories play a variety of roles. Models are used to test hypotheses and make predictions. Constitutive theories are rule sets or blueprints for building models. Constitutive theories can be arrived at inductively by identifying the rule set behind one or more related models. Once in place, they can be used deductively to develop new models or reveal relationships among seemingly disparate models. Unlike the typical mathematical nature of models, constitutive theories are a set of statements that can be assembled by any researcher. Various personas can be adopted in the processes of developing and using constitutive theories. Personas that focus on novelty (the Advocate and the Explainer) are interested in developing new models or constitutive theories, robustness personas (the Semantician and the Tinkerer) look to strengthen existing ones, while conflict personas (the Instigator and the Mediator) compare and contrast seemingly disparate ones. Through collaborations among quantitative and empirical researchers, and conceptual, synthetic, flexible, and expansive thinking, all researchers can be theoreticians.