ABSTRACT
In this essay, Kislov and Wilson call for a change of perspective from “theories” as finished products created by the leading lights of our discipline to “theorizing” as the process of developing, refining, and expanding theoretical knowledge in which all implementation researchers can and should engage. They argue that theorizing is an iterative and recursive process that involves moving back and forth between empirical data and theories at different levels of abstraction, namely, program, mid-range, and grand theories. Constant dialogue between the empirical and the theoretical (particularly at the level of mid-range theory) is a cornerstone of so-called theoretically informative, as opposed to merely theoretically informed, research. Although guided by existing theory, the theoretically informative approach aims to yield new theoretical insights applicable to a broader range of settings. A particular empirical case or set of cases is used here as an opportunity for refining previous conceptualizations of the general processes contained in the earlier theoretical accounts. The essay concludes by outlining recommendations for researchers who wish to engage with theorizing when designing or evaluating implementation interventions.
