Knowledge Should be Free: Reus-Smit, Christian and Duncan Snidal. "Between Utopia and Reality: the Practical Discourses of International Relations". In The Oxford Handbook of International Relations, edited by Reus-Smith, C. and D. Snidal. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

There is no distinction between the practical and the normative in IR theory, as all theories are based in assumptions about how the world is and how it should be (7).
There are two primary divides within IR theory: between critical theory and problem-solving theory, and between verbal theories and formulaic mathematical theories (15).

Mathematics are a useful of represented and understanding many problems, but they don't always do a good job of fitting into IR. In is in these cases, that verbal theories become useful (15).

Even 'scientific' theories, like rational choice or Liberal Institutionalism, ultimately depend on value judgements, such as determining what actions are rational or irrational, or identifying areas of national interest (19).
Answering the pressing questions of the our time, such as whether to intervene in the next genocide, requires both empirical and normative knowledge of IR. One of the largest drawbacks of contemporary Realist and Liberal scholarship is that it provides masses of knowledge about how to intervene or not, but not the valuable perspective about what should be done (20).
The authors provide 3 empirical axes for the analysis of IR, and 2 normative axes. The three empirical axes are agency-structure, ideas-materials, and their understanding of power. The two normative axes are their commitment to certain values and their perception of change (21-22).

Agential, meaning that they focus on individual actions in creating IR.
Structural, emphasizes the constraints and opportunities of agents working within a larger structure.
Structurationalist, focuses on the relationship between agents and structures wherein agents construct their own constraints and that construction is influenced by preexisting structures.
Post-structuralist, deals with how systems enforce subjective interpretations of events and promote exclusive claims on truth.

Ideational, attributes international power and relations to ideas and ideology.
Rational institutionalist, focuses on ideas and ideology as mediating understandings of material fact.
Materialist, emphasizes purely material and factual differences between states.

Compulsory power, focuses on the direct control of State A over State B.
Institutional power, emphasizing indirect control of A over B.
Structural power, looking at the different capacities of actors to participate in the international system.
Productive power, focusing on the ability of A to enforce a subjective interpretation of certain conditions.

Value axis, on which theories can focus on national interests, promoting international cooperation, individual liberty, encouraging inclusivity and reflection on alternative perspectives, or respect for alternative viewpoints.
Change axis, on which theories are either optimistic or pessimistic about the possibilities of change in the international system.

Figure taken from page 23 of book referenced.

Knowledge Should be Free