Abstract

LEAL CARRETERO, Fernando. On the dissociation between theoretical frame and empirical data. Espiral (Guadalaj.) [online]. 2009, vol.15, n.45, pp.09-41. ISSN 1665-0565.

Observation and experience show that both research projects on social sciences and graduate or postgraduate dissertations alarmingly frequently consist of two clearly distinguishable parts: on the one hand, a series of concepts are presented (more or less well defined) as well as a series of references or even textual quotations by authors that are more or less compatible among themselves; on the other hand, a series of empirical data are presented (absolute and relative figures, correlations, events, decrees, policies, speeches) that are more or less heterogeneous and more or less trustworthy, which are discussed, analyzed or interpreted either independently from the concepts and references of the first part or establishing just tenuous relations among one another. This can be regarded either as an anomaly that demands correction (and the professor of methodology should be the orthopedist in charge) or as the normal condition of the social sciences in their present-day condition (and then we should neither worry so much nor torment so much our students and auxiliaries with the famous theoretical frame). The article discusses which of these two visions comes closer to reality.

Keywords : marco teórico; dato(s) empírico(s); metodología; investigación; ciencias sociales.