Conceptual Framework
A visual or narrative map of the key concepts in a study and the relationships the researcher expects among them.
A conceptual framework identifies the main concepts a study involves and shows how they are assumed to relate, often as a diagram with arrows for expected influences. It is built from the literature and the researcher's own reasoning, and it is specific to the project. Where a theoretical framework applies an established theory, a conceptual framework can combine ideas from several sources into one working model.
In a thesis, the conceptual framework disciplines the whole project. It justifies which variables are measured, motivates the hypotheses, and gives the discussion chapter a structure to return to when interpreting results. Presenting it as a labeled figure near the end of the literature review helps examiners see, at a glance, exactly what the study proposes to test or explore.
Writing the thesis this term belongs to?
CiteDash takes a thesis from research question to a compiled document, with AI that cites only real papers and verifies every claim against its source.