The digital transformation of social research: on the emulation of theory within theory and the emergence of repository-based academic writing

Purpose The digital transformation of social research has significantly expanded the empirical and methodological capacities of the social sciences. Yet, social theory itself remains largely shaped by analogue modes of thinking and writing. This paper aims to explore what a digital transformation of social theory would entail, with particular attention to the implications for theory construction and academic writing. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a systems-theoretical and distinction-based perspective on social theorising. Building on the paradox of true distinctions, it outlines the basic operations of digital social theory as the construction, combination and recombination of distinctions. The argument is developed through conceptual analysis and illustrative examples, including the translation of prominent false distinctions into architectures of true distinctions. Findings The paper identifies two key implications of digitally transformed theorising. First, digital theory architectures possess the capacity to emulate diverse forms of analogue theory by translating false distinctions into true ones and generating further distinctions from these. This capacity introduces both a new criterion of theoretical robustness and a corresponding methodological challenge. Second, the linear format of conventional academic writing proves inadequate for representing and developing such architectures. This limitation points to the need for repository-based forms of academic writing and collaboration that allow for modular, iterative and problem-oriented theory development. Originality/value The paper contributes to the emerging research programme on the digital transformation of social research by shifting the focus from digital methods and empirical applications to the transformation of social theory itself. It introduces the problem of theory emulation as a central concern for digital theorising and proposes repository-based academic writing as a corresponding organisational form. In doing so, it outlines a pathway towards the development of social theoretical infrastructures capable of integrating and emulating both analogue and digital theories.