A personalized theory of theory construction.

This article describes my personal approach to theory construction. I liken the construction of a theory to the solution of a mathematical puzzle in which the answer is not in the back of the book. I touch on (a) the development of a theoretical perspective, (b) the identification of a specific problem, and (c) the development of a theory to address the problem. The article concludes with the view that in the last analysis, any approach is likely to be fruitful so long as one persists in its use and does not shift gears whenever the going gets tough.