As a deductive-inductive process of research, I will propose a structure of theory-model-empirics from deduction and top-down, or empirics-model-theory from induction and bottom-up. As follows:

General Theory of Communications in Human Development - long evolutionary view of stages of communication associated with stags of human development, covering communications theory, biology and sociobiology, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, history. A history of communication eras/ages to explain the progression of communication taking centre stage in a globalization, in the communications age.

Under or grounded to the general theory.
Theoretical and conceptual development of communications in learning and knowledge in the 21st Century, with emphasis on the digital revolution.

There can be many other theories that can come under the general theory, which should encompass (in theory anyway) such developments as Marshall and McLuhan's work on media and communication studies ('the medSium is the message'), or Chomsky's work on linguistics ('deep syntax'). So the sub-theory here, one among many, would be focused on learning and knowledge.

Under or grounded to learning and knowledge in the 21st century and applicable to practise.
ICTA2K4D - ICTs and Access to Knowledge for Development - a conceptual model for higher education cooperation in the digital age.

Again, other models and conceptual work could come under learning and knowledge in the 21st century (digital age), but here the focus is on the networked academy (academy in the network society).

Under ICTA2K4D
Empirical Questions derived from the conceptual model.

An example of the empirical aspect of the theory-model-empiric.

Current empirical questions: A2K branch.

Root Question - Quantification of the scholarship system, global metrics.

How many scholarly articles exist?

Status: I have produced a result, an estimate to be published in April 2009. See www.stratongina.net

The estimate is that roughly 50 million articles now exist as of 2010.

Sub-Questions

· What are the existing barriers in terms of price for access, search/ navigation/ retrieval/
indexing, availability of technology and isolation from networks for individuals and libraries?

· What percentage of the cumulative global volume of articles is online? What percentage is
offline? What percentage of their abstracts is online?

· Of the articles that are online, what proportion is freely available?

· Which offline articles would be found on open library shelves as opposed to being stored in archives? How are offline articles dispersed geographically?

· What are the patterns of digitization of articles originally published in print? How many are open access, in the public domain, or accessible through subscription?

· What are the alternative routes to accessing an article that is not freely available online – e.g. InterLibrary Loan, e-print, re-print? What is the extent of library networks that allow for this?

· What proportion of articles would be considered secure in terms of preservation, and what proportion would be considered vulnerable? What risks are there for the existing system of scholarship? Do we know of articles that have existed but have been irretrievably lost?