Editing International relations theory (section)

== Theory in international relations scholarship ==
In a 1955 article, [[Kenneth W. Thompson]] characterized IR theory as a recent phenomena in political science scholarship.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Thompson|first=Kenneth W.|date=1955|title=Toward a Theory of International Politics|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0003055400066338/type/journal_article|journal=American Political Science Review|language=en|volume=49|issue=3|pages=733–746|doi=10.2307/1951435|jstor=1951435 |s2cid=147041418 |issn=0003-0554}}</ref> Thompson distinguished between "normative" IR theory, "general" IR theory, and IR theory as the "basis of action."<ref name=":1"/>

In recent years, several IR scholars have remarked on what they see as a trend away from IR theory in IR scholarship.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Leaving theory behind: Why simplistic hypothesis testing is bad for International Relations|journal = European Journal of International Relations|date = 2013-09-01|issn = 1354-0661|pages = 427–457|volume = 19|issue = 3|doi = 10.1177/1354066113494320|language = en|first1 = John J.|last1 = Mearsheimer|first2 = Stephen M.|last2 = Walt|s2cid = 52247884}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = I Don't Get No Respect:1 The Travails of IPE2|journal = International Studies Quarterly|date = 2010-09-01|issn = 1468-2478|pages = 893–895|volume = 54|issue = 3|doi = 10.1111/j.1468-2478.2010.00615.x|language = en|first = Vinod K.|last = Aggarwal|doi-access = free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = The old IPE and the new|journal = Review of International Political Economy|date = 2009-02-16|issn = 0969-2290|pages = 34–46|volume = 16|issue = 1|doi = 10.1080/09692290802524059|first = Robert O.|last = Keohane|s2cid = 155053518}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = Technique Trumps Relevance: The Professionalization of Political Science and the Marginalization of Security Studies|journal = Perspectives on Politics|date = 2015-06-01|issn = 1541-0986|pages = 377–393|volume = 13|issue = 2|doi = 10.1017/S1537592714004022|first = Michael|last = Desch|s2cid = 147194910}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = For a More Public Political Science|journal = Perspectives on Politics|date = 2015-06-01|issn = 1541-0986|pages = 269–283|volume = 13|issue = 2|doi = 10.1017/S1537592715000031|first = Jeffrey C.|last = Isaac|doi-access = free}}</ref> The September 2013 issue of ''European Journal of International Relations'' and the June 2015 issue of ''Perspectives on Politics'' debated the state of IR theory.<ref>{{cite news|title = Table of Contents — September 2013, 19 (3)|url = http://ejt.sagepub.com/content/19/3.toc|newspaper = Sage Journals|access-date = 2016-02-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = Perspectives on Politics Vol. 13 Issue 02|url = http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=PPS&volumeId=13&seriesId=0&issueId=02|website = journals.cambridge.org|access-date = 2016-02-17}}</ref> A 2016 study showed that while theoretical innovations and qualitative analyses are a large part of graduate training, journals favor middle-range theory, quantitative hypothesis testing and methodology for publishing.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Where Is International Relations Going? Evidence from Graduate Training|journal = International Studies Quarterly|volume = 60|issue = 3|date = 2016-02-12|issn = 0020-8833|pages = 486–498|doi = 10.1093/isq/sqv017|language = en|first = Jeff D.|last = Colgan}}</ref>