The Theory Construction and Research Methodology (TCRM) Workshop is a longstanding tradition within NCFR. Working papers on family theory and research methodology are reviewed, discussed, and strengthened in this unique, interactive environment, which is held on site at the NCFR Annual Conference.

TCRM sessions run from Tuesday, Nov. 2, through the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the 2021 NCFR Annual Conference.

This year's TCRM co-chairs are Kevin Shafer and Yan Wang. Contact them at the 2021 TCRM email address.

View TCRM Program Schedule

TCRM is made possible with the support of NCFR's Journal of Family Theory & Review.

TCRM Papers

Papers for TCRM 2021 are posted online registered conference attendees to access. We'll continue to post more papers as they become available.

See TCRM Papers >>

TCRM Registration

This year, the TCRM Preconference Workshop is free with conference registration. Indicate if you will attend TCRM when you register. See all registration details.

To add TCRM to an existing registration, log in at https://my.ncfr.org and look under your Events section. Click View/Edit to add.

What Does a TCRM Paper Session Look Like?

A TCRM paper session features work in progress instead of finished products. Before the session, authors of accepted proposals have submitted their manuscripts, and TCRM has solicited comments from scholars in the field who have agreed to be discussants. (Papers and comments are online for registered attendees, who read them ahead of the TCRM Workshop) The TCRM paper session is not a presentation; it begins with a general overview of the paper. Discussant comments follow, and the author responds to the comments. Following this there is an informal conversation in which the audience participates in discussing the papers, theory issues, and methodological questions.

2021 Virtual Conference

Due to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, NCFR has planned for a virtual conference to take place in 2021 during the scheduled conference days of Nov. 3–5, 2021.

TCRM Call for Proposals

The deadline for TCRM submissions was March 22, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The call for proposals PDF is archived below for reference.