Resource Materials
These resources provide a quick description of the theoretical or conceptual framework and how to determine which of the many frameworks available might fit best with your project.
A theoretical framework consists of concepts and, together with their definitions and reference to relevant scholarly literature, existing theory that is used for your particular study. The theoretical framework must demonstrate an understanding of theories and concepts that are relevant to the topic of your research paper and that relate to the broader areas of knowledge being considered.
The theoretical framework is most often not something readily found within the literature. You must review course readings and pertinent research studies for theories and analytic models that are relevant to the research problem you are investigating. The selection of a theory should depend on its appropriateness, ease of application, and explanatory power.
The theoretical framework strengthens the study in the following ways:
An explicit statement of theoretical assumptions permits the reader to evaluate them critically.
The theoretical framework connects the researcher to existing knowledge. Guided by a relevant theory, you are given a basis for your hypotheses and choice of research methods.
Articulating the theoretical assumptions of a research study forces you to address questions of why and how. It permits you to intellectually transition from simply describing a phenomenon you have observed to generalizing about various aspects of that phenomenon.
Having a theory helps you identify the limits to those generalizations. A theoretical framework specifies which key variables influence a phenomenon of interest and highlights the need to examine how those key variables might differ and under what circumstances.
By virtue of its applicative nature, good theory in the social sciences is of value precisely because it fulfills one primary purpose: to explain the meaning, nature, and challenges associated with a phenomenon, often experienced but unexplained in the world in which we live, so that we may use that knowledge and understanding to act in more informed and effective ways. Retrieved from :https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/theoreticalframework
Retrieved from:https://nurseslabs.com/nursing-theories/
NurseKillam. (2014). How to support research with theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2c8G0bBfHk
Youtube video:
How to support research with theoretical and conceptual frameworks; (5:20) (Links to an external site.)
Pretorius, L. (2018). Theoretical framework, methodology and research questions. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUKv2NccshQ
