A theoretical framework is a foundational structure of a research paper or dissertation that defines key concepts, theories, and guides research study by defining the relationships between research questions and established assumptions.
It provides a lens to researchers that can make them understand, analyse, and interpret their findings by connecting the existing theories to a research problem.
The theoretical framework is one of the most infamous aspects of a dissertation, but it provides a strong scientific research base. Identifying the theoretical foundation on which a researcher grounds the study. You can produce a first-class dissertation if the theoretical framework is appropriate and well-thought-out.
But first, you need to understand what a theoretical framework is. And how to develop one for your dissertation?
A Step-by-Step Guide to Forming a Theoretical Framework
You only need to follow the below-mentioned 5 steps to write a perfect theoretical framework for your quantitative or qualitative research studies. Students of STEM and social science widely use these proven steps for their research studies.
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Define your research problem and objectives
Simply deduce the key factors or terms of the paper, indicating the major research problems you are going to solve with a thorough investigation backed by a literature review, data analysis, and so on.
To create a comprehensive structure, don’t forget to consider your research objectives and the theories you are going to use. It’s all about what you are trying to investigate or solve.
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Identify Key Variables and Concepts
Make a list or mark the recurring ideas, concepts, terms, or thought patterns throughout your essay. Once you are done with the extraction of key variables and concepts, your research revolves around. You will be ready to use them for the creation of relevant architecture for theories.
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Review Existing Theories
Before finalising a theoretical framework, make sure to review all the existing theories relevant to your study. For example, if you are working on the social learning theory framework for understanding the behavioural patterns of adolescents. Then, you must consider the social learning theory of Bandura. It will help you to come up with a comprehensive study.
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Choose the Most Relevant Theory
Always make sure to pick the most relevant or closest to your ideas theories, like Feminism, which could be employed in a research study when discussing the women’s struggle in a patriarchal society in your literature dissertation. The same is the case for students of political science, economics, philosophy, etc.
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Demonstrate How it Applies to Your Research
Lastly, to complete the construction of the theoretical structure for dissertations or theses. You need to demonstrate the relationship between the theory and your study design. To get the required results in the data analysis of the manuscript.
What is the Difference Between the Theoretical and Conceptual frameworks?
Researchers often confuse the conceptual framework in a dissertation with the theoretical framework while creating their studies. To clear the air, we have brought a comprehensive difference table for you. So that you won’t make any mistakes again while dealing with theories for writing manuscripts.
| Theoretical Framework | Conceptual Framework |
|---|---|
| Based on existing theories. | Based on the researcher’s own hypothesis. |
| Explains why a phenomenon occurs. | Explains how the research will be conducted. |
| Grounded in established theories. | May combine multiple theories or variables. |
| Used to test or apply a theory. | Used to define key concepts or constructs. |
| Commonly used in quantitative research studies. | Common in qualitative and mixed research methods. |
| Predicts relationships between variables. | Visualises the study’s structure. |
| Drawn from existing literature. | Tailored to the specific research objectives. |
| Offers a lens for analysis. | Offers a plan for investigation. |
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What to Include in a Theoretical Framework?
Your theoretical framework for a dissertation should incorporate existing theories that are relevant to your study. It will also include the terms mentioned in the hypothesis, research questions, and problem statement. All these concepts should be clearly identified as the first step for writing a theoretical framework.
What Type of Research Questions Can You Answer in a Theoretical Framework?
The descriptive research questions only use the theoretical framework because their answer requires deep research. For instance, ‘How can you relate customer satisfaction with customer loyalty?’ A single theory can answer this question sufficiently.
The sub-question, ‘How are the online customers of company X loyal and satisfied at present?’ cannot be answered theoretically because it requires qualitative and quantitative research data.
Theoretical Framework Structure
There is no fixed pattern to structure the theoretical framework for the dissertation. However, you can create a logical structure by drawing on your hypothesis/research question and defining important terms.
For instance, write a paragraph containing key terms, hypotheses, or research questions, and explain the relevant models and theories.
Theoretical Framework: Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
Also See: Organising Academic Research Papers: Theoretical Framework
What Should be the Length of the Theoretical Framework?
The length of the theoretical framework is usually three to five pages. You can also include the graphical framework to give your readers a clear insight into your theoretical framework.
Theoretical Framework Examples of a Dissertation
Here is a theoretical framework example to provide you with a sense of the essential parts of the dissertation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
To choose a theoretical framework for your dissertation:
- Define research objectives.
- Identify relevant disciplines.
- Review existing theories.
- Select one aligning with your topic.
- Consider its applicability.
- Justify your choice based on relevance and depth.
There is no limit to adding or subtracting theories from the theoretical framework of a dissertation. However, it is recommended to use only 2 to 3 theories that are directly relevant to the thesis and support the research questions, resulting in better analysis. Avoid complicating it with more theories.
A theoretical framework is a foundational structure explaining the relationship between variables and concepts related to the theories under observation. On the other hand, a literature review is a summarisation of existing research on a topic.
No, a theory is a single explanation or model of how something works, and a theoretical framework uses one or more theories to build the foundation of your research.
The four main types of theoretical frameworks of dissertations or research papers are.
- Descriptive: Explains what exists
- Relational: Shows the relationship between variables
- Explanatory: Explains why something happens
Predictive: Forecasts future outcomes based on theory
It is not always a part of a literature review, but some universities require students to add the theoretical framework section in the literature review chapter. You can confirm with your institution to mention it as a separate chapter or within the literature review.
