ROXANA LEONOR VILLEDA DE

TRIGUEROS
MSC. SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH
METHODS AND TECHNIQUES
UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR
WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS
ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
FEBRUARY 7, 2018

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK,
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK,
STATE OF ART AND
REFERENCED FRAMEWORK
RESEARCH PAPER
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK, THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK, STATE OF ART
AND REFERENCED FRAMEWORK

Seminar students tend to confuse the concepts and use of conceptual

framework, theoretical framework, state of art and referenced framework. Each one
of them is very important when conducting quantitative, qualitative or mix method
paradigm research. To begin discriminating them let’s start by defining each element.

Framework
In the context of research a framework works as a guidance for researchers
where the research questions are answered and variables are measured. It also
helps to plan the analysis of variables, and it helps the researcher establish limits to
investigate the research problem. Once data is collected the framework helps the
researcher to compare his/her findings with the concepts, theory or state of art gotten.
If discrepancies exist, the researcher may ask him/herself if the framework is useful
to explain the findings (Imenda, 2014). It also gives an explanation of why the
research problem exists by relating the variables or concepts to each other.

Concept
A concept is an image or symbolic representation of an abstract idea (Liehr &
Smith , 1999); however, Chinn and Kramer (1999: 252) see concepts as the
components of theory which “convey the abstract ideas within a theory”; they also
see a concept as a “complex mental formulation of experience.” (Imenda, 2014).
Concepts are proven theories that through time have evolved with the same result.

Conceptual framework
Then a content framework is content that explains, and predicts an event
through an understanding of the research phenomenon. A content framework is the
scope of the work where certain concepts, indicator or characteristics of the
phenomenon are defined, located and related among them. That is, the established
limits of your research problem according to your research objectives. Moreover a
conceptual framework is the result of gathered concepts to explain or predict an

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event or an understanding of a research phenomenon. A conceptual framework also
serves as “an analytical tool with several variations and contexts. It is used to make
conceptual distinctions and organize ideas” (Richard, nd.).
Through a conceptual framework the researcher organizes his or her ideas
through concept distinctions. Here is the researcher’s opportunity to define the
research concepts to be used. The researcher may state if he/she will use already
established concepts or will create one to be proved. The researcher uses an
inductive process to state a hypothesis (work, action, or change) to be proven. Since,
“inductive reasoning has its place in the scientific method, scientists use it to form
hypotheses and theories. Deductive reasoning allows them to apply the theories to
specific situations” (Bradford, 2017). A conceptual framework also works as a
conceptual map where you order the main ideas or concepts, and you set topics and
subtopics and draw lines to indicate their relationship.

For example a diagram of a conceptual framework about the phenomenon of

satisfaction at work. It gives the relationship among variables and concepts.

leadership
Motivation salary

Satisfaction General
at work
unsatisfaction
investment

Complains
from clients Interpersonal
conflicts

Source: modified from (García, nd).

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 It may come that in natural science one theory (or more than one) to prove
certain phenomenon; never the less, “in social science there is no single theory that
can meaningfully” (Imenda, 2014) explain a social phenomenon or event for example
academic empowerment or poverty.

Theory
On the other hand, Fox and Bayat (2007: 29) define theory as “a set of
interrelated propositions, concepts and definitions that present a systematic point of
view of specifying relationships between variables with a view to predicting and
explaining phenomena” (Imenda, 2014). In the same way Smith & Liehr (1999) state
that theory is a set of interrelated concepts, which structure a systematic view of
phenomena for the purpose of explaining or predicting. Then theory becomes a
guide for model.

Theoretical framework
So a theoretical framework is composed of scientific theory well-substantiated
and explained, referred to aspect of “the natural world, based on a body of facts that
have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment” (Imenda,
2014). In a theoretical framework you also apply deductive reasoning or deduction
where you start with “a general statement, or hypothesis, and examine the
possibilities to reach a specific, logical conclusion, according to California State
University. The scientific method uses deduction to test hypotheses and theories. "In
deductive inference, we hold a theory and based on it we make a prediction of its
consequences” (Bradford, 2017).
The theoretical framework is composed of theories that have been tested
through research and gives broad generalizations of the relationship among
variables. Moreover, “a conceptual framework differs from theoretical framework in
that it provides the direction that is missing in theoretical framework. Also called
research paradigm, conceptual framework makes things easier by delineating the
input as well as output of the research project. One gets to know the variables that
need to be tested in a conceptual framework” (Richard, nd.).

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 To begin writing a theoretical framework you must think of it as a plan to a
certain trip where you need to have information of the place, culture, climate,
currency, and politics and so on. Try to answer the following questions when writing
a theoretical framework:
• What do I know about the phenomenon that I want to study?
• What types of knowledge are available to me (empirical, non-empirical,
tacit, intuitive, moral or ethical)?
• What theory will best guide my midwifery practice?
• Is this theory proven through theory-linked research?
• What other theories are relevant to this practice?
• How can I apply these theories and findings in practice? (Basford & Stevin,
1999).
The theoretical framework also consists of recent research with its theory and
conclusions as well as the researcher’s posture according to the revised data. Go
over as many different theories related to your topic to know different postures and
conclusions gotten previously. This literature review includes articles, books and
other documents that may describe the actual situation of the problem. All this
information helps our research gain more knowledge of the problematic situation.
Keep in mind that a theoretical framework helps the researcher to prevent
errors that other researcher have gone through. It tell the scientist how to develop
the study maintaining the scientist’s view in the research problem, maintaining the
view in the scope of the research. It also states the need and importance of the
research and guides to the approval or deny of the hypothesis. It also provides with
new research techniques and a framework to interpret the data (Lorenzo Rocha,
Perestelo Perez, de Castro Peraza, & Perdomo Hernandez, nd). Finally theoretical
framework expresses the relationship among the variables or between certain
phenomenon.

State of art
Researchers use the state of art to demonstrate the novelty of their research
through related literature to the research problem. It is theory that other investigators

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have come up with. It also gives relevance to your research problem. The state of
art gives the reader different approaches to a solution. In this way the researcher
evaluates his/her own research approach realizing of Its novelty or lack of it easily.
The researcher may also prove which approaches are the most popular ones and
which are dead ends” (Sewell, 2016). Researcher also have the opportunity to
refuse others approaches.
Then a state of art includes literature survey of areas of study reviewing the
context through the research questions. Researchers try to answers the following
questions “Who is doing what? Who has done what? Who first did it or published it?”
Investigators may take the information from “published papers, research
monographs, catalogues etc. Based on primary sources. Offering a, probably new,
structured view of the field of study” (GENERIC OUTLINE FOR CCS PHD version
3, 2005).
In social science research, a state of art is the construction of a referential
analysis showing as said before the most outstanding novel knowledge about the
research topic. The idea is to summarize the most important ideas, concepts,
opinions that other professional have come up with, so that the researcher at the
end of the research study can refuse, complement or accept an already establish
statement. At the same time the researcher contributes giving his/her relevant ideas
already compared to those that other have come up with.

. SATE OF ART

It is possibility that permits

concept framework critical knowledge the researcher adopts

about a phenomenon or creates a theory

Objective Goal from

The researcher recovers It generates innovated Revise and critical

and transposes previous knowledge and analysis of the
knowledge understanding documments

source: Modified from Normas APA (2017)

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 The difference between a state of art and a theoretical framework is that in
the theoretical framework the researcher chooses the theories he/she will use in the
research; contrary to the state of are where the researcher must consider all the
reference possible related to the phenomenon in study. Even though, some of the
seem contradictory. In other words, the researcher must understand and know all
the argument possible, relating the differences and similarities among the research
problem (Normas APA, 2017).
It is necessary that the researcher states his/her point of view of the research
problem discriminating it with the present data. That is the difference with the
theoretical framework where there is no need to state the researcher’s point of view.
The researcher only describes the conceptual statement to study the research
problem. In other words in the state of art the researcher creates knowledge.
Contrary to the theoretical framework where the researcher only studies and proves
theories (Normas APA, 2017).

Referential framework
The referential framework helps the researcher to observe a phenomenon
based on the elements derived from the conceptual framework, theoretical
framework, state of art, historical framework and context framework. It is also based
on the antecedents of the problem and its previous treatment or observation. It is
also related to the scope of the work. All the frameworks are related when it comes
to a social research study including contextual framework which is based on the
scope of the work and description of the environment where the study will take place.
Social science research can be carried out simply using a conceptual framework or
state of art. What is called a pure qualitative research, In any case, the researcher
must be aware of the relationship among concepts and the different definition and
uses that those concepts have or have had in different contexts and historical
background. It is advisable that a social science researcher takes into account the
following referential framework to carry out his/her investigation; however it is not a
must:

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 • Conceptual framework,
• Theoretical framework,
• Historical framework and
• Contextual framework (Garcia Ortiz, nd.)

Historical and contextual framework

The historical background permits the researcher identify the context of the
research. It is a descriptive story of how the problem came to be, its evolution and
social or natural impact. It states the different stages that the research problem has
faced up to date. It also refers to the different theories that have studied the
research problem, stating the finding of each phenomenon (Carrasco, 2009).
On the other hand to contextualize a framework means to describe the place
or environment where the study will take place. Also researchers name other
authors that have investigated the topic and talk about the research methods and
techniques used to obtain data and its results (Facultad de Ciencias Economicas,
2010). A contextual framework may come from books, magazines, websites or
interviews.

Keep in mind that a theoretical framework Works fine for pure natural science
quantitative data and that in social science researcher may use a conceptual
framework or state of art to carry out a qualitative research; however, qualitative
research needs to explored deeply, not to miss any important issue, that is why
researcher consider using a referential framework in this area.

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