5. Frameworks

The Conceptual Framework is an important step in any research. Yet it is so often missed.

Here is an overview showing how the Conceptual Framework and Theoretical Framework are so important to research.

Conceptual Framework

The Conceptual Framework represents the researcher’s synthesis of literature on how to explain a phenomenon or current knowledge.

It is the researcher’s understanding of how the particular variables in his study inter-connect with each other.

It identifies the Independent Variables (IV) and Dependent Variables (DV) required for the subsequent investigation.

Theoretical Framework

The Theoretical Framework tracks your IVs and DVs from the Conceptual Framework to create research questions.

It must create testable premises (qualitative or quantitative) required to prove your thesis statement.

Literature Map

The Literature Map shows the flow of knowledge and information related to your Conceptual Framework.