ABSTRACT
Theory is to raw data and case studies what a tail is to an old-fashioned kite: without it, they simply will not fly, or exhibit much stability in flight. If by "theory" is meant a complete or unifying explanation of a given process which is capable of being tested, or has been tested over time, then it is true that a "theoretical gap" exists. New researches in the area of cognitive science have suggested that students come to their first science classes with extensive theories of how the natural world operates. They use these "naive theories" to explain the "real" world prior to having any science instruction. The theoretical distinction is graphically demonstrated in the bureaucratic procedures of culturally different large organizations, such as governmental departments, funding agencies, and international engineering firms, which are themselves the products of specific cultures.
