Theoretical Frameworks in Research 

Theoretical Frameworks in Research

A theory is the theoretic part of a research that allows scholars to investigate a given phenomenon. Other terms for theory include theoretical framework, model, or conceptual background. Specifically, formulating a theory involves coming up with a set of interrelated variables of concepts and their definitions before forming a suitable hypothesis to determine the relationship between the constructs (Connelly, 2014). In the two articles, “Use of Theoretical Frameworks in Research” by Lynne Connelly and “The use of Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks in Qualitative Research” by Helen Green all hope to explicate the role of theoretical background on the quality of research.

According to Connelly, a theoretical framework or conceptual model is a less developed or less formal than an official theory. The purpose of such a framework is to guide exploratory work in the process of collecting theoretical ideas for research. Notably, this model is structured more narrowly than a theory and barely links different concepts. For example, in research seeking to explain how nurses make decisions in emergency situations, a conceptual framework may often elucidate the different decision-making approaches but will not go as far as explaining the effectiveness of each model, as opposed to a full theory (Connelly, 2014). In her paper, Green echoes the sentiments postulated by Connelly that conceptual frameworks are primarily used to provide a direction in the research process, which is obscure and highly dependent on the nature and amount of available research.  Theoretical Frameworks in Research.

Armed with this vital information, I am in the process of collecting information for my proposed study. Primarily, a literature review is top of my agenda in when collecting information to create my conceptual framework. By conducting a thorough review of the available literature on the topic, I wish to accomplish several things. First, I will get an insight into the most appropriate research models and the theories that have proven useful in this field of study. Notably, it is only through literature research that a scholar can identify different relationships between concepts (Green 2014). This relationship is vital in the conceptual framework since it aids in the exploratory works that in turn expands the scope of theoretical ideas. Moreover, from the review I hope to gain an impression about the topic as a whole, identifying all the major areas addressed by the other researcher and also identifying and verifying their sources of data. Moreover, this step of the research process enables the scholar to identify areas for further research while avoiding the pitfalls identified in previous works. In my case, I found out that most of the other writers have cited the systems model as a common theme in their work. Theoretical Frameworks in Research.

The system model is fundamentally a theory by Betty Neuman that seeks to explain a person’s relationship to stress by exploring their response to potential and actual environmental stressors. What is more, the Neuman theory also proposes prevention interventions that nurses should adopt to maintain optimal wellness for their clients. The theory stresses on the nurse’s role in ensuring the highest level of wellness for their clients regardless of the available environmental stressors. Using a conceptual map on figure 1, I will attempt to outline my concepts and the relational statements. Theoretical Frameworks in Research