Conceptual Framework

Professor Roger Vaughan

May 29th 2008

www.bournemouth.ac.uk

The structure of the presentation

The definition of a conceptual framework.

Where the conceptual framework appears in the research.

Developing the conceptual framework.

The presentation of the conceptual framework.

The good and bad of conceptual frameworks.

Conclusion.

The definition of a conceptual

framework

What is a conceptual framework?

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.
(Miles and Huberman, 1994, P18)

Where the conceptual framework

appears in the research

Where does the conceptual

framework fit?
Preparing a conceptual framework can be likened to planning a holiday.
The purpose of the pre-planning of the holiday is to:
Know how to get to, and return from, your holiday destination.
Know what to do when you are at the destination.
To be better prepared, and able to make the most of your holiday,
because you can be guided by your previous experiences and by
any information provided by others.
But is this pre-planning metaphor applicable to both quantitative and
qualitative research in terms of the conceptual framework and the
research process?

Where does the conceptual

framework fit in - quantitative?
Research problem:
Paradigm:

The issue of theoretical or practical interest.

The philosophical assumptions about the

nature of the world and how we understand
it - positivism.
What we want to know and how the answer
Aims and objectives:
may be built up.
A critical and evaluative review of the
Literature review:
thoughts and experiences of others.
Provides the structure/content for the whole
Conceptual framework:
study based on literature and personal
experience
Specific questions that require answers.
Research questions:
Data collection and analysis: Methodology, methods and analysis.
Interpretation of the results: Making sense of the results.
Revisit conceptual framework.
Evaluation of the research:

Where does the conceptual

framework fit in - qualitative?

Research problem:

Paradigm:

The issue of theoretical or practical interest.

The philosophical assumptions about the

nature of the world and how we understand
it e.g. interpretivism.
What we want to know and how the answer
Aims and objectives:
may be built up.
A critical and evaluative review of the
Literature review:
thoughts and experiences of others.
Specific questions that require answers.
Research questions:
Methodology, methods and analysis.
Data collection and analysis:
Conceptual framework develops as
Interpretation of the results: participants views and issues are gathered
and analysed.
Revisit conceptual framework.
Evaluation of the research:

Qualitative research - the position

of the conceptual framework
Normally qualitative work is described as starting from an inductive
position, seeking to build up theory, with the conceptual framework being
emergent, because existing literature/theories might mislead.
However, Miles and Huberman (1994) note that:
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.
Qualitative research can also be confirmatory. Yin (1994), for example,
identified pattern matching and explanation building. 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 analysing data.

Developing the conceptual

framework

What inputs go into developing a

conceptual framework?
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.

How might a conceptual

framework be developed?
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.

The presentation of the conceptual

framework

What general forms might a

conceptual framework take?

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.

What specific forms might a

conceptual framework take?

The possibilities include:

Flow charts.
Tree diagrams.
Shape based diagrams triangles, concentric circles, overlapping
circles.
Mind maps.
Soft systems.

A flow chart of innovation decision

making
PRIOR CONDITIONS
1.

Previous practice

2.

Felt needs/problems

3.

Innovativeness

4.

Norms of the social

system

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

1. KNOWLEDGE

2. PERSUASION

Observations of the

Perceived characteristics

decision making unit

of innovation

1.

1.

Relative advantage

2.

Compatibility

3.

Complexity

4.

Trialability

5.

Observability

2.
3.

Socio-economic
characteristics
Personality
variables
Communication
behaviour

3. DECISION

4. IMPLEMENTATION 5. CONFIRMATION

1. Adoption

Confirmed Adoption
Later Adoption
Discontinuance

2. Rejection

Rogers 2003

Continued Rejection

A tree chart of changing

consumer behaviour
Customers

Changing
customers

Experience

Range

Values

Knowledge

Product
expectati ons

Lifestyles

Priorities

Demographics

Health

Physical

Purchasing

Price

Quality

Information

Access

Service

Currency

Individuality

Loss of
loyalty

Value

Image

Expectations

Variety

Age
composition
Ease

Flexi bility

Security

A triangle of needs

Self

actualisation
Esteem

Affiliation
Security
Physiological

Maslow 1954

A mind map of cruise travel and

impacts
T ra v e l
W hy not
m a s s to u r is m

S O C IA L C O N T IN G E N C Y
THEO R Y
W h o g e ts to g o ?
H e g e m o n y c la s s
In d iv id u a l n o t p a r t o f m a s s

Typ e s o f
t o u r is t s /
tr a v e lle r s

Typ e s o f
to u r is m

P O S T S T R U C T U R A L IS M
F o u c a u lt - f r e e d o m a n d c o n tr o l
K n o w le d g e - p o w e r s

Jennings 2001

E n v iro n m e n t

W h a t t y p e o f im p a c t
and
w h a t ty p e o f to u r is t?

P e o p le

A r e c r u is e r s
to u r is ts o r n o t?

C r u is e r im p a c t s

C u l tu r e /
p la c e s

P O S T M O D E R N IS M
B a u d s ila r d - H y p e s r e a lit y
G o ffm a n - fr o n ts ta g e /
B a c k s t a g e a u t h e n t ic it y

D is a d v a n ta g e s

A d v a n ta g e s

Soft systems framework of tourism

business activity

1 Process
Content
6 Output
7 Outcome

2
3
Institutional Business
Environment Environment
4
Behaviour

5
Motivation

The good and bad of conceptual

frameworks

Why are conceptual frameworks

useful?
Conceptual frameworks provide researchers with:
The ability to move beyond descriptions of what to explanations of
why and how.
A means of setting out an explanation set that might be used to
define and make sense of the data that flow from the research
question.
An filtering tool for selecting appropriate research questions and
related data collection methods.
A reference point/structure for the discussion of the literature,
methodology and results.
The boundaries of the work.

What are the limitations of a

conceptual framework?

Conceptual frameworks, however, also have problems in that the

framework:
Is influenced by the experience and knowledge of the individual
initial bias.
Once developed will influence the researchers thinking and may
result in some things being given prominence and others being
ignored ongoing bias.

The solution is to revisit the conceptual framework, particularly at the

end when evaluating your work.

Conclusion

The overall contribution of the

conceptual framework
The conceptual framework encapsulates the research as it:
Sets out the focus and content.
Acts as the link between the literature, the methodology and the
results (regardless of when in the PhD process it is produced).
Thus it can be/will be the focus/starting point of the evaluation of
originality in terms of the criteria outlined by Hart (1998). For example:
Is what has been focussed on entirely new?
Is the way the subject been investigated different to the normal
approaches?
Has new light been shed on previously explored issues?

The End

References

References

Hart C. (1998): Doing a Literature Review. London, Sage.

Jennings G. (2001): Tourism Research. Australia, John Wiley and
Sons.
Maslow A (1954): Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper.
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, M. A. (1994): Qualitative Data Analysis:
An Expanded Sourcebook (2nd edition). Beverley Hills, Sage.
Rogers, E.M. (2003): Diffusion of Innovations. 5th Edition. London,
Simon and Schuster.
Smyth R. (2004): Exploring the Usefulness of a Conceptual
Framework as a Research Tool: A Researcher's Reflections. Issues
In Educational Research, Volume 14.
Yin R. K. (1994): Case Study Research: Design and Methods. (2 nd
edition) California, Sage.