Developing Research Framework

When formulating your thesis study, it is imperative to provide a rationale for your research and elucidate its structure to your audience. The term used to refer to this is the research framework. Consider it as the fundamental basis of a structure. An effective structure necessitates a robust base. In a similar vein, it is imperative to substantiate your research by conducting a comprehensive examination and elucidation of the current body of knowledge in the respective field. This entails elucidating how your research study will integrate with or enhance the existing body of literature, such as by potentially challenging or testing an established theory or addressing a gap in knowledge.

Crucial elements of the framework include a comprehensive examination of recent studies related to your thesis topic, along with the theories and models employed in your study field. The literature review serves as a mechanism for filtering and selecting suitable research questions, as well as providing guidance for the collection, processing, and interpretation of data in the study. Consider a wide range of ideas! In addition to doing a comprehensive study of pertinent scholarly articles within your area of inquiry, it is advisable to delve into theories that have been encountered during your undergraduate education, as well as other published thesis research, and handbooks.

Research frameworks can be classified into two categories: theoretical and conceptual.

A theoretical framework serves as a comprehensive structure for the study of data. It provides a clear definition of the concepts employed and elucidates the current theories and models within your research domain. Additionally, it elucidates any underlying assumptions that shaped your methodology and the exact justifications behind your selection. The utilisation of theoretical frameworks is frequently observed within the domains of social sciences.

A theoretical framework refers to a conceptual model that offers a methodical and organised approach to problem-solving or inquiry in study. The process aids in the identification of crucial factors and their interrelationships, so providing guidance for the selection and interpretation of data. Theoretical frameworks assimilate established theories and empirical data, enabling the formulation of novel hypotheses or the examination of preexisting ones. These frameworks establish a fundamental basis for the design of research, the collecting of data, and the analysis thereof, so contributing to the relevance, rigour, and coherence of the research. The utilisation of theoretical frameworks is prevalent throughout several academic domains, encompassing social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. These frameworks play an important aspect in the construction of knowledge and the progression of comprehension within a certain topic.

The role and objectives of a theoretical framework

Evaluate and question prevailing theories

• Establish systematic correlations between empirical findings and factual evidence

• Anticipate and manage circumstances

• Formulate hypotheses

Procedure for constructing a theoretical framework

• The task at hand involves the identification and definition of essential concepts within the problem statement and thesis question.

• In order to elucidate and assess prevailing theories, it is imperative to compose a comprehensive literature review that delineates the concepts, models, and theories that underpin the present investigation.

• Select the theory that most effectively elucidates the connections among the important variables in your investigation.

• Elucidate how your research work addresses a deficiency in knowledge or aligns with previous studies (e.g., examining the applicability of an established theory to your thesis environment).

Steps involved in developing a theoretical framework are:

1. Choose key concepts – Identify the crucial terms from the research question and problem statement. Since concepts include multiple definitions, you can use a theoretical framework to explain the meaning of each term. For example, ABC institute was facing increased student absenteeism. It aimed at improving student presentism and assumes that fun learning plays a key role in achieving the process. To investigate the issue, research questions, objective and problem statement was defined. ‘How the student presentism can be improved?’ was the research question, ‘including fun learning’ was the objective and ‘increase in student absenteeism’ was the problem statement. Here, fun learning & student presentism are the key focus of the study and the theoretical framework must describe these concepts.

2. Define and assess theories – To identify key concepts, conduct a literature review and determine how previous researchers have defined the key concepts and drew connections between them. Further, when working on the framework, compare and analyse the approaches previously used. This is followed by explaining the model that fits best for your study and justifying the reasons behind using the same. In complex research, you can combine theories from various fields and create a unique framework. However, if there exists a well-established theory and you are not using it, justify the reason for the same.

3. Describe the significant contributions – After establishing links between the existing theories, the next (final) step is to explain how your research fits in the field of interest. Describe how the theory will be tested and how the results contribute to the existing information. Explain if you have used a specific theory as a basis for understanding and interpreting the data. Demonstrate if your theory would challenge or criticise the existing theories and did you combine theoretical methods to obtain a new approach.

Methods for constructing a theoretical framework

• Establish objective: Prior to commencing your research, it is imperative to delve into the theories and models that have been developed in your specific field of study. The topic at hand may encompass a multitude of theories, necessitating a thorough evaluation, comparison, and selection of the most pertinent one.

• Establishing a goal is a crucial aspect of writing as it provides a theoretical framework that serves as a basis for supporting your analysis, interpreting your findings, and advancing your research.

• The identification of essential terms of study is a crucial phase in the research process. This stage encompasses the selection of the problem statement that serves as the impetus for the investigation. The thought derived from several sources has distinct keywords. It is imperative to provide a more precise definition for each phrase.

• The underlying principle of the study will assist in the development of a robust theoretical framework. Once the core concepts have been selected, proceed to document them and articulate the purpose statement, which outlines the objective of the study. The objective of the study is established, followed by the definition of the concept, and subsequently, the relationship between them is elucidated.

• Examine pertinent articles: In order to address the inquiry at hand within your study, it is advisable to thoroughly examine a range of scholarly research papers and articles to gain a comprehensive understanding. Select multiple articles based on your chosen topic. Select a pertinent article that aligns with your research. In order to obtain a response for each question that you have chosen from the brainstorming session. Referring to the pertinent article will assist you in obtaining the solution to the inquiry.

• Enumerate the constructions and variables: Once the models and variables have been constructed, it is crucial to define the appropriate definition of your work that aligns with your research and provides support for your study. Review of PhD Literature The utilisation of a Theoretical Framework facilitates the development of a distinctive framework, even for intricate research endeavours, through the integration of theories from diverse fields. It is imperative to include the primary research question that serves as the driving force behind the research and establishes a connection between the fundamental topic and the chosen research methodology.

• Examine the research assumptions: In addition to analysing the research conducted by others, analyse your own work for gaining a complete knowledge of the research and make necessary modifications prior to commencing the research process. The Theoretical Framework for Your Research elucidates the potential benefits of your project to others.

The process of constructing the framework

Below are few techniques for constructing a robust theoretical framework:

1. The thesis title and research problem should be thoroughly examined. The research problem serves as the foundational element of your study and serves as the underlying base around which you develop your theoretical framework.

2. Generate ideas regarding the primary variables that you deem significant in your research. What are the contributing variables to the presumed effect?

3. Conduct a comprehensive examination of relevant literature to obtain solutions to your research inquiry.

4. The constructs and variables that may be pertinent to your investigation should be enumerated. The variables should be categorised into independent and dependent groups.

5. Examine the fundamental social science theories presented in your course values and select the theory or theories which could most effectively elucidate the connections between the major variables in your

6. Analyse the underlying assumptions or assertions of this theory and highlight their significance to your research.

By focusing on specific factors and defining the particular perspective (framework) which the researcher would adopt in the evaluation and interpretation of the data to be collected, a theoretical framework helps to limit the scope of relevant data. This framework facilitates comprehension of concepts and variables based on the provided definitions, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge by either validating or questioning theoretical assumptions.

A conceptual framework refers to a written or visual depiction that elucidates the variables under investigation and their interconnections. Commence by conducting a comprehensive literature review of extant studies and theories pertaining to your subject matter.

The conceptual framework provides a coherent arrangement of interconnected concepts that aid in illustrating the relationships between ideas in a study within the theoretical framework. It is not merely a series of ideas, but rather a method to establish and present to the reader your epistemological and ontological perspective and methodology towards your area of research. The conceptual framework additionally provides a chance to precisely delineate and establish the concepts inherent in the topic at hand. After establishing the conceptual framework for a dissertation, the subsequent step is determining the approach to be taken in writing the dissertation.

Procedure for constructing a conceptual framework

• Elucidate the subject matter of your study by delineating and elucidating fundamental concepts inside your thesis problem statement and thesis question. In essence, your thesis should aim to fill a void in existing knowledge.

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review to establish a foundation for interpreting and elucidating the study findings. Additionally, utilise actual knowledge acquired via personal experience.

• The identification of crucial factors from the literature review and empirical knowledge is essential. These variables should be classified as either dependent or independent variables, and their definitions should be provided.

• Generate a comprehensive list of potential factors that may exert an influence on each dependent variable.

• Suggest potential connections between the variables and ascertain any existing links among all variables.

To demonstrate your conceptual framework, it is recommended to utilise a flowchart or tree diagram.

When formulating a conceptual framework, it is important to ascertain the subsequent elements. The study incorporates several variables:

1. Independent variables,

2. Dependent variables,

3. Moderating variables

4. Mediating variables.

5. Control variables

To commence the investigation, it is imperative to ascertain the independent (cause) and dependent (effect) variables. The subsequent step involves the identification of variables that exert an influence on this relationship, including moderating variables, mediating variables, and control variables. When the value of a moderating variable grows or decreases, it alters the connection among the dependent and independent variables. A mediating variable serves as a connection between independent and dependent variables, providing a more comprehensive explanation of their relationship. A control variable is maintained at a constant level throughout the investigation to eliminate any potential influence on the cause-and-effect connection and ensure that any impacts on the findings/outcomes can be excluded.

At Research Developers, we provide a good quality research framework. An underlying framework or model for research endeavours is provided by a research framework. Until now, research has been mentioned, referred to, and sometimes treated as a more cohesive group of activities. However, as is well known, research may be utilised to address a wide range of issues pertaining to company, product, and delivery. It also comes in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Developing Research Framework