The literature that dealt with the stages of building scientific theory few, what are those stages in your opinion and are there important sources in this regard?
In my opinion firstly to set the boundary conditions, secondly to find the appropriate solution finally to conclude the resulted solution between the identified boundary conditions. So the Boundary Conditions are the most important stage in theory building.
Either there already exists a large field of experience with many research results and a formulated theory, then one tries to check this theory by further research on certain cases, whether they are sufficiently sustainable (resilient), or one extends the theory spectrum by new questions. This is one side of the methodological approach. A completely different side is to conduct a theoretical discussion with the intention of contradicting existing views with good rational arguments. This usually requires a great deal of background knowledge, including historical knowledge. But mostly contradiction is theoretically more profitable than simply quoting common doctrines. Another possibility is to make a discovery, collect material on it, and develop a verifiable theory. Theories must be rationally discussable. This is where they differ from dogmas, speculation, images or analagies. I think that there are only a few "stages" in theory that cannot be changed. Often there is also a paradigm shift in a science.
The theory is based on a set of ideas and opinions presented in previous studies and then turned into reality and facts. These facts are then transformed into theories and their applications in philosophical, scientific or political fields.
Isam, is correct and Newton''s phrase 'standing on the shoulders of giants' provides a certain image. Newton's theories emerged from the mathematical, scientific, and philosophical ideas of his time-expressed albiet in new forms. The same applies to Einstein.
Historical narrative tends to focus on individuals, as thereby it is easier and simpler to explain things.
Alexander Fleming is said to have discovered penicillan and there are a number of myths that demonstrate how he did it, discovering its effects by chance coupled with skill and experience. In fact the discovery seems to have the been product of team work, of a laboratory, over a number of years.
Of course penicillan had been known to many outside of Europe for thousands of years, but in Europe it was classified, and altered for mass production. Therefore discovery goes through many and varied stages/social, academic, transmission and team work. Finally recognition.
Many present day advances were discovered, in some form or another, in the distant past but viewed differently. Many rose only to disappear again because the processes of mass production were not then available.