Theoretical Framework vs Conceptual Framework In Research: Simple Explainer (With Examples)

Muddling the theoretical framework and the conceptual framework? Here's what each does, and how they fit together. 🎓 GET 1-ON-1 LITERATURE REVIEW HELP: https://go.gradcoach.com/W3Dsa 🧰 FREE RESEARCH TOOLKIT: https://go.gradcoach.com/pQe61 THE KEY QUESTIONS WE ANSWER IN THIS VIDEO What is a theoretical framework? A set of concepts, definitions and propositions that together form a structured view of a specific phenomenon. Put more plainly, it's a carefully curated collection of existing theories, models and frameworks that gives you a foundation of core knowledge, a lay of the land, to build your study on. It's sometimes called a foundation of theory. What is a conceptual framework? Usually a visual representation of the expected relationships and connections between the constructs or variables in your study. It shows how you, the researcher, view and organize those pieces, and it's commonly used to map the causal relationships and pathways you expect to find, drawing on both theoretical literature and empirical research. That makes it a natural place to develop your research questions and hypotheses from. What is the difference between a theoretical framework and a conceptual framework? Format and purpose. The theoretical framework lays down a text-based foundation of theory for your study to stand on. The conceptual framework visualizes the relationships you anticipate between constructs and variables, based on the literature plus the specific context of your research. The two aren't mutually exclusive, and your conceptual framework will draw in part on your theoretical one. Where does the theoretical framework go in a dissertation? Usually fairly early in the literature review section. Say your aims involve understanding what makes people trust investment brokers. You'd first define what you mean by trust, since there are several possible definitions, probably settling on organizational trust, which describes trust between an individual and a company. Then you'd outline the key existing literature on it, where the seminal research on organizational trust would need to appear. That discussion of terminology and seminal theory is the framework. How much theory does a theoretical framework need? It varies, and that's a real answer rather than a hedge. Yours might revolve around a single major theory, or it might bring together a collection of interrelated theories and models. Some studies need a lot of ground covered, some very little. Don't fixate on replicating what you see in other studies, though it is worth reading past dissertations from your own university to get a feel for the institutional norms. Do I need both a theoretical and a conceptual framework? Quite possibly. It's common to include both, particularly where your aims involve investigating relationships between variables. Every project is different and universities differ in what they expect, so follow the project brief your institution gives you. OVERVIEW 00:00 Introduction 00:43 Closely related, but different things 01:03 What a theoretical framework is 01:36 Where the theoretical framework sits 01:45 An example: what makes people trust brokers 02:53 Presenting your theoretical framework 03:12 How much theory you need to cover 03:45 Recap of the theoretical framework 04:06 What a conceptual framework is 04:45 What a conceptual framework visualizes 05:17 An example, with hypotheses built into it 05:51 Designing a conceptual framework well 06:34 The two frameworks side by side 07:12 Whether to include both 07:29 Follow your institution's brief FREE RESOURCES Theoretical vs Conceptual Framework - https://go.gradcoach.com/HJSyD Free Dissertation & Thesis Templates - https://go.gradcoach.com/A96z5 How To Write A Research Question -    • How To Write A Research Question: Full Exp...   How To Write An A-Grade Research Hypothesis -    • How To Write An A-Grade Research Hypothesi...   Theoretical Framework Examples - https://go.gradcoach.com/ky9Bq What Are Research Constructs? - https://go.gradcoach.com/mozfK What (Exactly) Are Research Variables? - https://go.gradcoach.com/uPuv5 The Grad Coach Blog - https://go.gradcoach.com/wJ679 PREMIUM RESOURCES Literature Review 101 (Blueprint) - https://go.gradcoach.com/cDBDw OUR SOCIALS 🟢 Facebook -   / gradcoachofficial   🟢 Twitter -   / gradcoachdotcom   🟢 LinkedIn -   / grad-coach-intl   🟢 YouTube -    / gradcoach