It is generally considered essential, though not strictly mandatory. That is, the thories provide frameworks for understanding complex social phenomena, guiding research questions, and interpreting findings. They also help researchers make sense of data and offer explanations for observed behaviors and trends.

Thank you so much Dr.

Theories are recommended as without a theory in research, one may see the research findings as merely ‘assumptions’. Theories do help to guide the research accordingly. The researcher must decide though if they are testing the theory or applying the theory as these require different types of statistical analysis.

Sachin Suknunan Thanks

Use of theories is not mandatory, but literature review is most often mandatory. Many articles expand their research on the reviewed theories, sometimes showing what the theories do not take in account but it will be estimated in the article. For example, game theory implies that decision-making is rational, while in fact, people do not aways make informed choices.

Theories in social science provide a foundational framework to explain social phenomena, guide research design, inform variable selection, and enable generalization across contexts; they serve as tools for organizing knowledge and generating testable hypotheses.