ABSTRACT
This chapter stresses the need to state theories in a clear, unambiguous way-a form of self-discipline that must accompany such freedom. In particular, it is concerned with framing theories in terms of concepts that cannot easily be subdivided into further distinct meanings, either denotative or connotative. However, the English language is not well designed to function as a medium for stating research results clearly and without ambiguity. Most English words can take on a variety of meanings, depending on the context and on the mood of the reader. English words involve more than one dimension, and these component dimensions are rarely specified in ordinary language. Multidimensional concepts are valuable and useful in ordinary language, as is indicated by their popularity. Although it is always necessary to think and work with unidimensional concepts in the social sciences, it is often convenient to put separate dimensions together in explicit multidimensional combinations.
