A conceptual framework is the researcher’s idea on how the research problem will have to be explored. This is founded on the theoretical framework, which lies on a much broader scale of resolution. The theoretical framework dwells on time tested theories that embody the findings of numerous investigations on how phenomena occur.
The theoretical framework provides a general representation of relationships between things in a given phenomenon. The conceptual framework, on the other hand, embodies the specific direction by which the research will have to be undertaken. Statistically speaking, the conceptual framework describes the relationship between specific variables identified in the study. It also outlines the input, process and output of the whole investigation. The conceptual framework is also called the research paradigm.
How to create a theoretical framework for social science research?
The conceptual framework is thus the umbrella term relating to all the concepts and ideas that occupy your mind as you contemplate, plan, implement and conclude your research project. Thus, whereas the conceptual framework could be the product of your own thinking about your research study, the theoretical framework comprises other people’s theoretical perspectives that you interpret as relevant to your research, and in particular, helpful in your data analysis and interpretation. That is why the term conceptual framework is so all-inclusive, that trying to unpack it in your research proposal could be messy. And since most of the constituent parts of the conceptual framework have sections of their own that need to be addressed in the research process, there is no need of taking the risk of trying to unravel this complex set of concepts. For all your practical purposes, there is no need to explain your conceptual framework. It is too diverse, too big a task for you to explain in a research proposal or a thesis. The advice I give my students is to avoid using this term. You need to design and explain the theoretical framework for your Ph.D. thesis. However, you are not required to explicitly discuss your conceptual framework.