title: Substruction: improving the linkage from theory to method.
abstract: 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.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Dulock
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Holzemer
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D009742:Nursing Theory; D013597:Systems Analysis