Hypertext projects and their testable theories should have an aim of creating new untested ideas and information. Because of this, the concept must be able to be proven wrong. If indeed proven false, it should be looked at not as a complete disappointment but as an opportunity to educate. Competition for funding in academe creates an environment not always conducive to celebrating failure, and the likelihood of success in projects must be defended, yet we must realize failure often brings the most new knowledge. To learn from these mistakes, documentation of the process must occur. We must build on what we already know, but also realize that knowledge is “ephemeral, contingent, [and] transitional in character.”

Concerning hypertext theory, this changing knowledge questions the evolution of “writing space.” Evolution is defined by irreversible change leading to “ordered structure in space and time.” This should create something better, “more complex, more ordered, more useful, more adaptive, more fit to a particular purpose. ” The question of hypertext theory, where theory means assertions that can be proven or disproven, that emerges is, “Does hypertext improve on the book?”

The criteria that help to establish exactly what hypertext theory is, what it entails, and its intentions will determine the type of hypertext projects that will be developed. In creating a theory and project to prove/disprove said theory, the concept must be able to be proven wrong: “[I]f failure isn’t a possibility, neither is discovery.” If falsification of the theory cannot occur, then there wasn’t a real question to begin with. The purpose of the theory should also work to explain other generalized topics and make predictions in the field. As far as hypertext theory goes, good theory should be able to predict advancements of information technology. The failures and successes of the experimental theory should also be “fertile,” meaning that new ideas and questions should arise from the original premise. And to a lesser extent, hypertext theory should reach the above criteria based on its persuasiveness.

The hypertext projects that arise from these theories then should not only demonstrate approval/rejection of the theories and usefulness, but also should raise new questions. The criteria, as determined by its own “terms of potential success or failure,” for each individual project should evolve with the project. Future research in the field will be aided by documentation of clearly established goals and criteria for each project. This documentation of both success and failure is of the utmost importance in conveying new knowledge, questions, and generalizations.