AbstractThe primary aim in this paper is to look at research as a formal process from the standpoint of a newcomer to GST. The mental operations required of the researchers in linking specific GST concepts to research practice are scrutinized. The need for a reciprocal ‘fit’ between the theoretical and empirical aspects in a theoretically‐based research process is stressed. As the abstract nature of GST can pose problems, similarities as well as differences between the mental operations called for in studies guided by a discipline‐specific theoretical rationale and GST‐based research are spelled out.The various formal steps in the research process are illustrated by reference to selected facets of a GST‐guided, semi‐experimental naturalistic study of the adaptation of couples to first pregnancy. The focus is on demonstrating the researcher's way of thinking, some of the problems encountered and the approach to their solution,not on the contentof the studyper se. A formal model of institutional entry, based on GST‐derived strategies for gaining access to rigid and highly stratified institutional systems, is included. Naturalistic research in medical and similar public settings is often jeopardized due to difficulties in securing entry into such systems. Researchers concerned with the family unit and, more particularly, with its functioning during first pregnancy, may be interested in a formal model of intra‐couple adaptation developed during the study and awaiting further