HOW IS THE CRITERION OF SIGNIFICANCE OF A MIDDLE-RANGE THEORY APPLIED?
The criterion of significance of a middle-range theory draws attention to the importance of the theory to society and to the advancement of knowledge within a discipline. We call the importance of the theory to society its social significance, and the importance of the theory to advancement of knowledge its theoretical significance.
Application of the criterion of significance helps you determine whether enough informa- tion about social significance and theoretical significance is given in the research report. Enough information means that you can understand just how important the theory is to society and how the theory has filled a gap in or extended existing knowledge. The same amount of infor- mation about social significance and theoretical significance should be included in reports of both theory-generating research and theory-testing research.