relationships between constructs. At a minimum, cosmetic
changes may be made in the theory's packaging
(words and labels used) or suggestions may be made
for repositioning the product. As with traditional consumer
products, the scientist/marketer must consider
whether changing the theory according to the recommendations
derived from test marketing will improve
the chances of successfully marketing the product.
Channels of Distribution for Theories
There are many channels by which scientific theories
may be disseminated to potential adopters. The various
channels of distribution have different levels of
effectiveness and may be differentially appropriate at
different stages in the development and testing of the
theory. In the early stages of development, most theories
are disseminated via presentations at colloquia
and conferences, and through informally distributed
working papers. While conference and colloquia presentations
are especially valuable in that they provide
direct feedback to the scientist/marketer, not many
scholars are likely to adopt a theory distributed in this
way. For one thing, relatively few scholars can be exposed
to the theory through these inefficient channels.
Before widespread adoption can be anticipated, most
theories must pass the muster of the gatekeepers in
the discipline (the reviewers and editors of prestigious
journals) and thereby achieve both legitimization and
widespreade xposure. A theory that is evaluatedp oorly
in test marketing may go no further than being published
in a conference proceedings, if at all. The theory
may languish there for several years before finally
fading away or being resurrected by another scientist
who happens to stumble across it. Occasionally a theory
is published first in a proceedings and later in a
journal, but this is generally considered bad form unless
major changes have occurred in the manuscript.
Some marketers begin the dissemination process
by submitting the manuscript directly to the key channel,
a major journal. If the manuscript is rejected from
a numbero f majorj ournals,t he inventor/marketemr ay
attempt to disseminate the theory through other channels,
perhaps less prestigious or highly specialized
journals. Using these channels to distribute a theory
reduces the probability that the theory will enjoy rapid
acceptance, although publication per se does enhance
the chances for eventual success. Publication in even
an obscure or specialized journal may still reach the
most interested target market of researchers who may
then be influential in further disseminating the theory
throughout the research community. Alternatively, if
the theory cannot be published in a major journal, some
marketers may try to publish the theory in book form