The parts of the theoretical framework include: the antecedents (previous research), the theoretical bases (definitions and concepts on which the research is based) and the legal bases (elements of legal pertinent to the study).
A theoretical framework must follow a logical structure that guides the development of the study. All frameworks are based on the identification of key concepts and the relationship between these concepts.
The theory must provide a focal point to attack the unknown in a specific area. If a relationship is found between two or more variables, then a theory should be formulated to explain why such a relationship exists.
The explanation of the theoretical framework refers to the relationship between two or more variables of the study phenomenon.
It is formal and should be used to present studies based on existing theories. A theoretical framework must derive from specific concepts and from prepositions that are induced or deduced.
The function of having a theoretical framework in research is to identify the starting point of the research problem and establish the vision in which the problem will be addressed. You must determine and define the point of view and the goal of the research problem.
You may be interested in 5 Examples of Theoretical Framework to understand the Concept.
Parts of the theoretical framework
Background
Background describes and identifies the history and nature of a well-defined research problem by reference to existing literature.
The background should indicate the root of the problem being studied, the appropriate context of the problem in relation to theory, research and / or practice, and the extent to which previous studies have come to have in investigating the problem.
A detailed literature should be included that explains what previous studies have declared on the subject, where recent developments are discussed, and identify that gap in the literature that has led to the research.
The problem that is established in the study should also be explained and a brief history of the problem should be given, mentioning if it has been addressed in any way before. In this way you can lead to the research question and the purpose of the study.
The antecedents depend on the problem being studied, sometimes it is necessary to offer a context that can include: cultural, economic, historical, philosophical, physical, political, social, temporal, and gender backgrounds, among others.
When researching a topic, encyclopedias, magazines, scientific journals, or the internet are a good place to start your research on it.
Theoretical bases
The theoretical bases of an investigation should set in motion the purpose of the project and define its research and development tasks. The theoretical bases are based on the theory related to the subject in question.
If the theoretical basis of a topic cannot be found, then the background of the topic should be described and a theory formulated.
Its content and impact depend on the approach used and on the limit in which the phenomenon has been studied.
The theoretical basis is harvested from existing data and then goes through a synthesis as a result of the author's analysis.
The author builds a theoretical background on the basis of previous studies, literature, professional experience and intuition. Previous data or findings may be presented, accompanied by their general importance and relevance to the author's present work.
Research information must be treated critically through the creation of comparisons and the summary of findings.
The concepts that are central to the topic are defined in the theoretical bases of the work, while other concepts can be defined in the context in which they appear.
A theoretical basis must be the model on which the phenomenon studied is being based. This part should reflect the theories and concepts that the research group or author believes will be helpful in examining the research.
It is also important to group particular concepts, and how those concepts relate to broader perspectives.
Legal bases
The legal bases are optional and depend on the work or research you are doing. If it is added to the theoretical framework, it must include any legal bases that can help in the project.
The connection between the articles that are added with the topic that is being studied in the research must be made.
Some legal bases include laws and department directives such as circulars, orders, etc.
It is the part of the research project or thesis in which the sources are taken from books, magazines, or newspapers that contain facts, laws, theories and other documented observations.
These laws and department directives will serve as the legal basis for the study paradigm.
If legal bases are presented, the researcher should arrange them chronologically from the most recent to the oldest and the relevance of each legal base should be explained. If the relationship of the legal basis and its relevance is not explained, the study would be unscientific.
Variables
The operationalization of variables is also included in the theoretical framework. Operationalization is the process of strictly defining variables into measurable factors.
This process defines confusing concepts and allows them to be measured empirically and quantitatively.
Operationalization also clarifies exact definitions for each variable, increasing the quality of the results and improving the overall quality of the research design.
For many fields, such as the social sciences or anything that uses ordinal measures, operationalization is essential. This step determines how researchers will measure an emotion or concept.
Confused concepts are vague ideas or concepts that lack clarity; are the conceptual variables. This is why it is important to define them, as this can facilitate a true duplication of the investigation process.
References
- Operationalization. Recovered from explorable.com.
- The literature review. Recovered from slideshare.com.
- Theoretical basis for researching learning at work. Recovered from www2.warwick.ac.uk.
- What does theoretical basis mean? Recovered from quora.com.
- Elements of the theoretical framework (2011). Recovered from trabajo-arcangel.blogspot.com.
- Theoretical basis in Project reporting instructions. Recovered from oppinmaeriaalit.jamk.fi.
- Theoretical framework (2011). Recovered from slideshare.com.
- Organizing your social sciences research paper: background information. Recovered from libguides.usc.edu.