Theoretical and methodological framework: tips for making the right choice

Choosing the theoretical and methodological framework for your research is a crucial step that demands careful thought. Both establish the foundation for how you will approach your topic and answer your research question.

1. Theoretical Framework: the Map of your research

The theoretical framework is the set of theories, concepts, and authors that support your research. It offers the lens through which you will analyze your problem and interpret your findings. A good theoretical framework helps you to:

• • • Define and delimit your research problem: By drawing on existing theories, you can better understand the scope of your study.
    • Justify the relevance of your research: Show how your work connects with the knowledge already produced in your area.
    • Formulate your research questions and hypotheses: Theories can inspire the questions you seek to answer and potential hypotheses.
    • Analyze and interpret your data: The theoretical framework offers categories and concepts to give meaning to your findings.
    • Communicate your results clearly and consistently: Using a common theoretical language fosters dialogue with other researchers.

1.1. How to choose your theoretical framework:

• • • Understand your topic and research question in depth: What exactly do you want to investigate, and what are its most important aspects?
    • Conduct a comprehensive literature review: Explore articles, books, theses, and other works relevant to your topic. Identify the main theories, concepts, and existing debates.
    • Evaluate the relevance and adequacy of the theories:
      1. Does this theory adequately explain the phenomenon I'm interested in?
      2. Does it offer useful concepts and tools for my analysis?
      3. Is it widely accepted and utilized in my field?
      4. Are there different theoretical perspectives on my topic? What are their respective strengths and weaknesses?

• • • Select the most pertinent theories: Choose those that best fit your research objectives and offer the most solid conceptual framework for your analysis. You can use one main theory and complement it with others as needed.
    • Define and explain the key concepts: Make it clear how you are understanding and using the main theoretical concepts in your research.

2. Methodological Framework: the Compass of your research

The methodological framework refers to the methods and procedures you will use to collect and analyze your data. It defines how you will conduct your research to effectively answer your questions. An adequate choice of methodology ensures the validity and reliability of your research findings.

2.1. How to choose your methodological framework:

• • • Consider the nature of your research question:
      1. Are you seeking to describe a phenomenon? (Descriptive research)
      2. Do you want to explore a problem in depth? (Exploratory or qualitative research)
      3. Do you want to test cause-and-effect relationships? (Explanatory or quantitative research)
    • Evaluate research approaches:
      1. Qualitative Research: Focuses on understanding meanings, experiences, and contexts. It uses methods such as interviews, focus groups, document analysis, and participant observation.
      2. Quantitative Research: Seeks to measure and quantify variables, analyze statistical relationships, and generalize results to a population. It uses methods such as surveys, experiments, and statistical data analysis.
      3. Mixed Research: Combines elements of qualitative and quantitative approaches to obtain a more complete understanding of the phenomenon.
    • Select data collection methods: Choose the most appropriate techniques to obtain the information you need. Consider factors such as:
      • The nature of your data: do you need numeric, textual, or visual data? 
      • Your participants: who are they? How can you access them?
      • Available resources: time, budget, and equipment.
      • Define data analysis procedures: How will you analyze the collected information?
      • In qualitative research: content analysis, discourse analysis, thematic analysis, etc.
      • In quantitative research: descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, hypothesis testing, modeling, etc.
    • Justify your methodological choices: Explain why you selected these methods and how they are appropriate for answering your research question and achieving your goals.

3. The relationship between the theoretical and methodological framework:

The theoretical and methodological frameworks are intrinsically linked. Your theoretical choices can influence your methodological options, and vice versa. For example:

• • • Research with a social constructionist theoretical framework may naturally lean towards a qualitative methodological approach, seeking to understand social constructions through interviews and discourse analysis.
    • Research based on behaviorist theory may opt for a quantitative methodology, seeking to measure and quantify behaviors through experiments and statistical analysis.

4. Important tips:

1. 1. 1. Be consistent: Make sure your theoretical and methodological frameworks are aligned with your research question and objectives.
      2. Be clear and specific: detail the theories, concepts, methods and procedures you will use.
      3. Justify your choices: Explain why you chose a particular theoretical and methodological framework and how they contribute to your research.
      4. Be flexible: The research process is dynamic. Be open to adjusting your theoretical and methodological choices if necessary, based on your findings and reflections.
      5. Consult your advisor: Discuss your ideas and choices with your advisor, who can offer valuable insights and guidance.

Choosing a theoretical and methodological framework is an iterative process. As you deepen your research, you can refine your choices to ensure they are the best fit to answer your research question rigorously and meaningfully.