How to write a

Conceptual
Framework
 Definition
• Miles & Huberman (1994) posit that a written or visual
presentation that: “explains either graphically, or in
narrative form, the main things to be studied – the key
factors, concepts or variables -and the presumed
relationship among them” (p.18).

• Buckingham (2016) suggests that a CF provides the

structure/content for the whole study based on literature
and personal experience.
 Revisit conceptual framework

• Conceptual framework develops as participants’ views

and issues are gathered and analyzed.

Researchers generally have some idea of what will feature

in the study, a tentative rudimentary conceptual framework,
and it is better to have some idea of what you are looking
for/at even if that idea changes over time. This is
particularly true for inexperienced and/or time constrained
researchers.

Buckingham (2016) and Holland, K., & Watson, R. (2012)

 Revisit conceptual framework

Qualitative research can also be confirmatory. Yin (2011),

for example, identified pattern matching and explanation
building, where pattern matching starts with existing theory
and tests its adequacy in terms of explaining the findings.

Explanation building starts with theory and then builds an

explanation while collecting and analyzing data.

Buckingham (2016) and Holland, K., & Watson, R. (2012)

 Developing a CF
❑ Experiential knowledge of student and supervisor:

✓ Technical knowledge.
✓ Research background.
✓ Personal experience.
✓ Data (particularly for qualitative).

❑ Literature review:

✓ Prior ‘related’ theory – concepts and relationships that are used

to represent the world, what is happening and why.
✓ Prior ‘related’ research – how people have tackled ‘similar’
problems and what they have learned.
✓ Other theory and research - approaches, lines of investigation
and theory that are not obviously relevant/previously used.

Buckingham (2016) and Holland, K., & Watson, R. (2012) Miles & Huberman (1994)
 Developing a CF
❑ The pieces of the conceptual framework are borrowed but
the researcher provides the structure. To develop the
structure you could:

✓ Identify the key words used in the subject area of your

study.
✓ Draw out the key things within something you have
already written about the subject area – literature review.
✓ Take one key concept, idea or term at a time and
brainstorm all the other things that might be related and
then go back and select those that seem most relevant.

❑ Whichever is used it will take time and a number of

iterations and the focus is both on the content and the inter-
relationships.
Buckingham (2016) and Holland, K., & Watson, R. (2012) Miles & Huberman (1994)
The presentation of the conceptual framework
❑ Process frameworks

✓ Set out the stages through which an action moves from

initiation to conclusion. These relate to the ‘how?’
question.

❑ Content frameworks

✓ Set out the variables, and possibly the relationship (with

relative strengths) between them, that together answer
the ‘why?’ question.

Miles & Huberman (1994)

Specific forms a conceptual framework may take
❑ The possibilities include:

✓ Flow charts.

✓ Tree diagrams.

✓ Shape based diagrams – triangles, concentric circles,

overlapping circles.

✓ Mind maps.

✓ Soft systems.

Miles & Huberman (1994)

Assessing Student Agency and Responsibility through a Multimodal Output in
the Time of COVID-19
Parungao-Callueng, E.S., Papango, M.C., & Raymundo, M.C.Y. (Proposal,
2021)
CHALLENGES OF BACHELOR OF CULTURE AND ARTS
EDUCATION MAJORS AT in a PHILIPPINE NORMAL
state UNIVERSITY: INPUT TO CURRICULAR
ENHANCEMENT
Roman, L.A., Oxiño R.V. & Modelo, L.B.
Making it count: Engagement and adaptive learning in an
online large class for pre-service English

Manicio, M.T.L.
Analysis of Interruptions in Classroom Group Discussions
of Pre-service Language Teachers
Mendoza, et. Al (Proposal, 2021)
 Step 1: The Topic
• Choose a topic that is of interest to you as
a researcher and aligned with any field
related to your Masters program as a
student.
 Step 2: The Related Literature
• Prepare your RRL to understand what has
been done on the topic you have chosen.
Create a matrix of the RRL for you to be
easily guided.
Writing the literature review
Literature Review of the Introduction Section
The literature reviewed in the introduction should:

▪ Introduce the topic

▪ Establish the significance of the study
▪ Provide an overview of the relevant literature
▪ Establish a context for the study using the literature
▪ Identify knowledge gaps
▪ Illustrate how the study will advance knowledge on
the topic

Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
Writing the literature review
Literature Review of the Introduction Section
Things to avoid doing in this section.

▪ Elaborating on the studies mentioned in the

literature review
▪ Using studies from the literature review to
aggressively support your research
▪ Directly quoting studies from the literature
review

Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
Writing the literature review
Literature Review of the Introduction Section

It is important to know how to integrate the

literature review into the introduction in an
effective way.

Although you can mention other studies, they

should not be the focus. Instead, focus on using
the literature review to aid in setting a foundation
for the manuscript.

Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
Writing the literature review
Literature Review of the Discussion Section

In this section, the findings of your study should

be the focus, rather than those of other
researchers. Thus, you should only use the
studies mentioned in the literature review as
support and evidence for your study.

Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
Writing the literature review
Literature Review of the Discussion Section

Three ways in which you can use literature

reviews in the discussion section:

1. To Provide Context for Your Study

2. Compare your Findings to Other Studies
3. State the Contribution of Your Study

Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
Writing the literature review
Three ways in which you can use literature
reviews in the discussion section:

1. To Provide Context for Your Study

Using studies from the literature review helps to

set the foundation for how you will reveal your
findings and develop your ideas.

Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
Writing the literature review
Three ways in which you can use literature
reviews in the discussion section:

2. Compare your Findings to Other Studies

You can use previous literature as a backdrop to

compare your new findings. This helps describe
and also advance your ideas. (Show either
similarities or differences of findings)

Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
Writing the literature review
Three ways in which you can use literature
reviews in the discussion section:

3. State the Contribution of Your Study

In addition to developing your ideas, you can

use literature reviews to explain how your study
contributes to the field of study.

Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
Writing the literature review
Three common mistakes that researchers make
when including literature reviews in the discussion
section.

1. Mentioning all sorts of studies, some of which

are not even relevant to the topic under
investigation.
2. Instead of citing the original article, they cite a
related article that mentions the original article.
3. some authors cite previous work solely based on
the abstract, without even going through the
entire paper.
Jalongo, M.R., & Saracho, O.N. (2016). Writing for publication: Transitions and tools
that support scholars’ success. Springer.
 Step 3: The Questions
• Formulate your Research Questions
guided by your readings on your chosen
topic.
 Step 4: The Variables
• Look for the specific variables in your RQs
and your RRL and find the relationship
between them.
 Step 5: The Map
• Create your Conceptual Framework
represented as a flow chart, schematic
diagram, mind map or concept map.
• Provide an in-depth explanation how the
variables will influence your study and
your methodology.
 Step 6: Revisit your CF
• In the course of your data analysis, you
may encounter changes in the findings.
• The CF can be revisited and revised.
• This may be your Post CF which can be
reflected in your Discussion section.