Building a conceptual framework

1
Building a conceptual framework

• Literature Review as process and product

2
Overview of session

• What is a conceptual framework?
• What is literature review?
• Growing your conceptual framework
• The literature and the development of your
  conceptual framework
• Your conceptual framework and the design and
  conduct of your research
• Communicating about your research
• The literature review as a chapter of your thesis

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What is a conceptual framework

• Qualitative research (Gilgan, 2004 Perry, 1995)
• Broad structure for data collection and analysis
• Sensitises researcher - what to look for / how to
  look
• Progressively refined, may incorporate
  experiential knowledge - built as information
  comes to light
• Quantitative research
• Theory
• Hypothesis
• Identifying, validating
• and operationalising variables
• (see for e.g. Dickson, Derevensky Gupta, 2002)

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What is literature review?

• Process and product
• Range of student conceptions
• List
• Search
• Survey
• Vehicle for learning
• Research facilitator
• Report (Bruce, 1994)

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Stages in engaging with the literature
Developing and demonstrating your understanding

• STUDENT AND NOVICE RESEARCHER
• SCHOLAR AND EXPERIENCED RESEARCHER

• Learning what is known and UNKNOWN
• Learning how knowledge in your field has been
  developed
• Showing you understand your field
• Confirming that your own research is WORTHWHILE
• Explaining how knowledge has developed over time
• Explaining how your research is JUSTIFIED
• Identifying how you have make a CONTRIBUTION to
  your field

Adapted from fIRST Consortium Helping Student
Writers Online Training resources (see your
supervisor)
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The literature and the development of your
research question / thesis statement / hypothesis

• Review not an end in itself but a means to an end
  identifying a worthwhile, researchable topic
• Connecting to other work in the field justify
  attention to your topic, identify gaps, (revise)
  to ensure relevance and originality, clarify
  contribution
• Draw out and state (refine) questions as they
  arise throughout the review
• (Denscombe, 2002 Perry, 1995)

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The expert identity and voice

• Eventually your literature review will
• show that you are across the literature
  relevant to your topic
• critique existing knowledge question
  assumptions, identify limitations, challenge
  relevance
• Imagining that you will do this can be difficult
• at the beginning of your research
• if you are writing in a language and culture you
  are not familiar with (see for example Moodies
  work with an Indonesian Engineering student)

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Developing a critical voice

• Critical evaluation balanced assessment (not
  only pointing out negatives criticising)
• Involves
• Examining assumptions
• Questioning and challenging ideas
• Judging validity and worth of evidence
• Providing evidence for your claims
• Forming opinions / arguments
• Making connections esp. with central concerns
  of your topic

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The literature and the development of your
conceptual framework

• Moving from the literature to developing an idea
  of your thesis as a whole
• Clarifying the purpose and relevance of your
  research with respect the literature (research)
• Framework
• links literature, core concepts and your research
  question
• helps structure your review
• (for qualitative researchers) develops as
  participant views and issues are gathered and
  analysed

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Conceptual framework and the design and conduct
of research

• Concepts for data
• collection analysis
• Participant voice
• As Bs
• Back to drinking!
• Drinking ???
• Mapping the
• conceptual space

Renoirs Bal au Moulin de la Galette
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Concept mapping

• Plotting the conceptual 'space' of your research
• A concept map is a kind of diagram that lays out
  key ideas related to your area and indicates
  relationships between these areas
• Mapping is useful for
• seeing and thinking about information and
  relationships in different ways
• indicating the relative importance of ideas /
  areas of study
• highlighting connections, gaps, contradictions
• helping you contain your study by identifying
  side issues. (University of Victoria, Canada
  Learning Skills Program, Organising and
  Integrating Information handouts, Concept Mapping)

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Your turn Remember this is a pictorial view of
relationships
Graphics from http//classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ACES100
/Mind/c-m2.html
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What to do

• Start with your central concepts (A B)
• Use lines, arrows etc. as you branch out to show
  how other ideas or concepts link with your main
  ideas
• Go with the flow do not stop to write lengthy
  explanations of a word or relationship

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Lit Review chapter in your thesis

• With editing and (much) redrafting your lit
  review will form a key part of your final thesis
  
• introduce study area
• set context
• justify questions (these arise from identified
  gaps, problems etc.)
• justify approach (methods need to fit the
  questions asked)
• foreshadow findings
• support claims (findings)
• identify contribution

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Conclusion

• Being engaged with others research in your field
  of study is an ongoing process write early,
  write often
• Drafting and redrafting your literature review
  locates and justifies you own research
  highlights, examines, critiques those concepts
  most relevant to your study
• The conceptual framework built from your review
  is important for designing (conducting and
  reporting) your study
• Presenting your literature review shows examiners
  you are familiar with (enough) ideas and debates
  and that your research contributes (something) to
  these

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References and additional resources

• Concept Mapping
• Mapping exercise from University of Victoria -
  Counselling Services. See also re concept mapping
  http//classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ACES100/ click on
  Mind Module then Concept Maps and
  http//www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/conmap.php
  
• Useful books and articles
• Becker, H.S. (1986). Writing for social
  scientists how to start and finish your thesis,
  book, or article. Chicago University of Chicago
  Press.
• Bell, J. (2005). Doing your research project a
  guide for first time researchers in education,
  health and social science. Berkshire, UK Open
  University Press. Esp. Chapter 6 The review of
  the literature - re critical review.
• Bruce, CF. (1994). Research students' early
  experiences of the dissertation literature
  review. Studies in Higher Education, 19(2),
  217-229.
• Caslin, M. Scott, K. (2003). The five-question
  method for framing a qualitative research study.
  The Qualitative Report, 8(3), 447-461. Available
  via the journal site at http//www.nova.edu/ssss/Q
  R/ accessed 9.5.8
• Denscombe, M. (2002). Ground rules for good
  research a 10 point guide for social research.
  Buckingham, UK Open University Press.
• Dickson, LM., Derevensky, JL., Gupta, R. (2002).
  The prevention of gambling problems in youth A
  conceptual framework. Journal of Gambling
  Studies, 18(2), 97-159.
• Moodie, J. (nd) The development of a critical
  voice in the writing of International
  Postgraduate Students. Retrieved 9.5.8 from
  http//learning.uow.edu.au/LAS2001/unrefereed/mood
  ie.pdf
• Neuman, W.L. (2000). Social research methods
  qualitative and quantitative approaches (4th
  ed.). Boston Allyn and Bacon.
• Perry, C. (1995). A Structured approach to
  presenting PhD theses Notes for candidates and
  their supervisors. Paper presented to the ANZ
  Doctoral Consortium, University of Sydney,
  February 1994, with later additions to 18
  September 1995. Retrieved 8.8.7 from
  http//www.elec.uq.edu.au/doc/Thesis_guide/phdth1.
  html
• Silverman, D. (2000). Doing qualitative research
  a practical handbook. London SAGE. See chapter
  18 The Literature Review Chapter.
• Steane, P. (2004). Fundamentals of a literature
  review. In S. Burton P. Steane (Eds.),
  Surviving your thesis (pp.124-137). London
  Routledge.

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Useful websites

• Getting started on your literature review a
  general guide for postgraduate research students.
  http//www.mmu.ac.uk/tips/downloads/postgraduate/l
  iterature_review.doc.pdf
• This site also has other Tips for postgraduate
  students including Critical reading, thinking and
  writing via http//www.mmu.ac.uk/tips/postgraduate
  /cheshire_pack.php
• Writing a literature review sources available at
  QUT and on-line http//www.library.qut.edu.au/lear
  n/learnhow/literaturereview.jsp
• Why do a literature review as well as
  organisation and writing in FAQ section of
  University of Queensland PhD study pages at
  http//www2.ems.uq.edu.au/phdweb/phfaq23.html
• Section on General guidelines for questions to
  ask in refining your topic from the Millerville
  Honours Students website http//muweb.millersville
  .edu/honors/thesis.htm
• The 'Research Room' at the Writer's complex of
  Empire State University esp. Evaluating sources
  and interactive online tutorial on developing a
  research question (if you have a question
  evaluate it in exercise 3) http//www.esc.edu/esco
  nline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/wholeshortlink
  s2/ResearchRoomMenu?opendocument
• The OWL at Purdue http//owl.english.purdue.edu/ow
  l/ provides a range of resources for writing.
  Also see Thesis or Question at http//owl.english.
  purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/thesis.ht
  ml
• Critical Thinking http//www.canberra.edu.au/study
  skills/learning/criticalwriting and
  http//unilearning.uow.edu.au/main.html