This document discusses different approaches to theory and research. It outlines three levels of theory (grand, mid-range, narrow) and three components (concepts, relationships, goals). It then describes three major approaches to knowing - positivist/empirical, interpretive, and critical - and how they differ in their views of ontology, epistemology, and axiology. Finally, it discusses three approaches to theory-building - covering law, rules, and systems - and describes the differences between pure and applied research.