Zelalem - you don't have to have either a conceptual and/or a theoretical framework to underpin qualitative data analysis. Some would argue that, say for instance with Grounded Theory, it is advisable - but it is not 'compulsory'. Descriptve, exploratory qualitative (free-form) approaches are common and intentionally avoid frameworks - although they can still be applied - but runs the risk of 'method slurring'.

The attached chapter may assist.

I am agree with professor Dean Whitehead. Also, I would like to suggest you a related work

Article Grounded Theory and Sensitizing Concepts

http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar_url?url=https://aij.scholasticahq.com/article/7.pdf&hl=en&sa=X&scisig=AAGBfm08JpY_PRf3gZ42xeE1VV5peJh0zQ&nossl=1&oi=scholarr

Article Theorizing from secondary qualitative data: A comparison of ...

Focus on words and phrases that keep showing up AND/OR words you think pertain to your study. Your conceptual framework or Theory has nothing to do with this process. Start here

Boyatzis, R.E. (1998) Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Thousand Oaks, London, & New Delhi: SAGE Publications

What NVivo's "theme search" produces is more like what most people would call tentative codes. In particular, themes are usually used to summarize the results in a qualitative study, and thus are relatively few in number (typically 3-5) and highly interpretive. In contrast, NVivo finds finds word combinations that are used frequently, which amounts to manifest (rather than latent) content.

Since you have already collected all your data, I would not recommend Grounded Theory because most advocates for this method insist that you alternate your data collection and data analysis by generating an evolving coding system during your data collection. Instead, I would recommend Braun and Clarke's (2006) Thematic Analysis. In particular, one of the key early steps in that approach is to code your data, and the work you have done in NVivo will be a useful starting point.

Thank you David for taking the time to provide me with this insightful advice. I will refer to the Thematic Analysis document you recommended.

I appreciate more insights and recomendded refernces you shared with me and thank you all Dean Whitehead Muhammad Ali La Verne A Davis and David L Morgan

David L Morgan I really appreciated your answer and the resource of Braun and Clarke's (2006) is very useful. Now I am using the six stages for thematic analysis using the inductive approach to code and identify themes.

Dear Zelalem Lema, I had also done something that you are doing but i used grounded theory. It is true that one does not need to have a pre-determined conceptual framework. However, often novice researchers do have one as it is our learning stage. What i did was i identified all the conceptual and theoretical frameworks which were available in the literature. It gave me a pretty good understanding on the current literature available and was quite handy during Viva Voce. What i didn't do was, I did not analyse my data keeping in mind the frameworks, I allowed all the possible themes to emerge from the data. Later i did adapted the most prominent framework and presented my finding, while i could have totally avoided that and created my own framework.

It is also necessary to have a clear understanding about the deference between theoretical framework and conceptual framework, it is often used interchangeably. You can see the work of Fain, (2017, p. 108), Grant & Osanloo, (2014), Green, (2014) and Camp (2001). I hope this helps

A key difference between Thematic Analysis and Grounded Theory is that analysis does not begin in TA until all the data has been collected, but the preferred approach in GT is to alternate between data collection and data analysis throughout the research process. Thus, one of the main reasons I recommended TA in this case was because the data collection was already complete.

Shreya Mishra thank you for your contribution. You are also right about the difference between the theoretical framework and conceptual framework. As David L Morgan said I collected my data and started coding and I found Thematic Analysis best suits my data analysis. But, I am thinking of using GT for my future research which is quite interesting how you start the research processes from the beginning including data collection and analysis directed towards theory development.

Tough question. But you can develop your own framework and proceed, if your not scared of the conventional academics being critical.

Good Answer David L Morgan

Thank you Emmanuel V Murray and Abdelkader Mohamed Elsayed

Please Go To This Link:

https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/43144_12.pdf

Lisa Lobry de Bruyn and Graham Roy Marshall

Thank you Abdelkader Mohamed Elsayed that was a useful resource!