Of course! The theoretical basis of a study and especially a theoretical model and it's assumptions are the corner stone to interpret findings and/or research results. Definitely, secures the advancement of existed knowledge.

In my opinion, a well-designed work (qualitative in nature) needs also a conceptual map. The may will help a scholar to analyze the key concepts and the key words for each concept based on literature review and!/or case study findings.

Yes you can.

For sure!

On one side where the conceptual framework will streamline your research process and help you focus on the important variables (not the same as quantitative variables but majorly the key points that define your objectives), the theoretical framework will help you make sense of it on the other.

Both are important for the qualitative research so that one does not get overwhelmed with the data in hand.

Hereby, I am attaching a paper below that helped me understand it thoroughly, it might help you as well. Please check out-

This is tricky. The answer depends, of course, on the definitions of "theoretical framework" and "conceptual framework". The very useful article provided by Aayusihi in the previous post understands a theoretical framework as being derived from theory 'as is' and a conceptual framework as the framework a researcher needs to construct if existing theory doesn't really cover the problem to be studied.

This distinction would have made sense to me thirty years ago. However, in my own qualitative research during the last three decades existing theory was never good enough to provide a useful framework for my investigations. This has largely to do with the difficult state of middle-range theory in my field (the sociology of science). It may well be that other fields provide sufficiently developed middle-range theories from which theoretical frameworks can be derived. But in my own work and in the work of PhD students I supervised, it was always necessary to use bits and pieces of theoretical insights and to use them to construct a rudimentary middle-range theory to which the project could contribute.

If this is the case, we don't need two frameworks. You reconstruct the state of the art of empirical research, and you reconstruct the state of the art of theoretical contributions relevant to your research question. This framework is theoretical because it uses existing theoretical insights and combines them to form a coherent system of statements. It is conceptual because it organizes existing theoretical knowledge in a way that supports your investigation. In my experience, one framework can fulfill both tasks unless for some reasons (e.g., supervisors' expectations) you have to present theory 'as is' regardless of its fit with the research problem.

Thus, I only work with one framework. If I remember correctly, I call this framework sometimes 'theoretical' and sometimes 'conceptual' ...

Kubra Yagar Besen

Yes, but I think that your research paradigm determines the role of theory in the research. You must consider your world view in the research; epistemology, ontology and axiology.

Generally, the more you determine your research paradigm the more you utilize the theory in your research effectively.

According to good research practices, the purpose of presenting the theoretical framework is to clearly identify the hypothesis and reflect on the theory after data collection and analysis whether it is confirmed or disconfirmed.

It is beneficial to check this article, it may help you.

Article THEORIZING CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Can we have both theoretical and conceptual framework in a qualitative study?

Before answering further it is good to provide operational definitions for both theoretical framework vs conceptual framework. I would like to define theoretical framework as previously used / adopted / adapted framework from your current literature review conducted. Whereas conceptual framework is your new framework developed that you want to test in your current research which can be developed from your previous theoretical framework(s) that you'd literature reviewed.

Based on above definitions, both theoretical & conceptual frameworks can be used in your current new research regardless whether it is a quantitative or qualitative research. However, the new conceptual framework developed in qualitative research usually doesn't include causal relationship (arrowed lines) which are more appropriate / prevalent in quantitative research. Moreover, in some qualitative studies, some author merely using text to describe their conceptual framework instead of depicting them in pictorial form.

Please read the following source:

Imenda, S. (2014). "Is there a conceptual difference between theoretical and conceptual frameworks?". Journal of Social Sciences, 38, 185 - 195.

I see that if the study is data driven, it is best to be conceptual. If it is theory driven, it is theoretical.

Please Go To This Link:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25059086/

I think it is not good to have both a theoretical and conceptual framework in a research. One can be enough to make the research understandable.

I am also looking for the answer to this question. A reference from an article or book may help to solve this myth and dilemma.