Theoretical Framework - a group of related ideas that provides guidance to a research study or project. The appropriateness of a theoretical framework that a research study is using is so important. 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.
If the framework is logically sound and substantiated by previous research studies, there is a strong possibility that the predictions or hypotheses evolving from that framework will be supported.
How to Develop a Theoretical Framework:
1. Select a Concept - a concept is an image or symbolic representation of an abstract idea. Example: love, pain, nurse, health, etc.
2. Identify the interrelationships among concepts:
A relationship may be: invariable = scientific law (no known contraindication has been observed)
tentative or inconclusive = relationship that does not convey truth or falsify (laws and hypotheses are types of propositions)
3. Formulating definitions - to develop a theoretical framework that can generate and test hypotheses, concepts must be clearly defined. conceptual definition vs operational definition
4. Formulating the theoretical rationale - through the literature review, an investigator becomes aware of or confirms identified theoretical connections between variables. In evaluating the formulation of the theoretical rationale, the internal structures, such as concepts and their definitions, should have clarity and continuity, and the approach to understanding phenomena, whether inductive or deductive, should be logical.
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