Chapter 4

Chapter 4
The Research Process –

Theoretical Framework – (Stage 3 in Research
Process)
© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1

www.wileyeurope.com/college/sekaran
 Recall the Research process:
1) Broad problem area
2) Problem statement
3) Theoretical Framework
4) Generation of hypotheses
5) Data collection:
6) Data analysis:
7) Report Writing( Interpretation of results)

Stage 3 :
Theoretical Framework
 A theoretical framework represents your beliefs on how
certain phenomena (or variables or concepts) are
related to each other (a model) and an explanation on
why you believe that these variables are associated to
each other (a theory).
 Thus, there are three parts within theoretical framework:
– Variables (affecting the problem)
– Model ( to make logical sense of the several factors
identified)
– Theory (driven from previous studies in problem area)
 Basic steps:
– Identify and label the variables correctly
– State the relationships among the variables:
formulate hypotheses
– Explain how or why you expect these
relationships

Variable
 Any concept or construct that varies or changes in
value
 Main types of variables:

– Dependent variable
– Independent variable

(In)dependent Variables
 Dependent variable (DV)

– Is of primary interest to the researcher. The goal of the research
project is to understand, predict or explain the variability of this
variable.
 Independent variable (IV)

– Influences the DV in either positive or negative way. The variance
in the DV is accounted for by the IV.

Examples
 Identify the Dependent variable (DV) & Independent
variable (IV)?......research studies indicate that…..
– Successful new product development has influential impact on
the stock price of the company.
– A manager believes that good supervision and training would
increase the production level of workers.
– Calcium consumption and bone density.
– Inflation rate in Kuwait is increasing overtime due to global food
prices and high workers’ wages.
– High blood pressure might be identified due to overweight , age,
family history, and stress.

Writing the Literature Review
Guidelines are adapted primarily from Galvan (2006). Galvan
outlines a very clear, step-by-step approach that is very useful
to use as you write your review.
Step 1: Identify the literature that you will review
Step 2: Analyze the literature
Step 3: Summarize the literature in table or concept map
format
Step 4: Synthesize the literature prior to writing your
review
Step 5: Writing the review

Step 1: Identify the literature that you will
review
 Familiarize yourself with online databases, identifying

relevant databases in your field of study.
 Using relevant databases, search for literature sources
maybe using Google Scholar as a start point;
 Import your references into a separate sheet.

Step 2: Analyze the literature
Once you have identified and located the articles for your
review, you need to analyze them and organize them before
you begin writing:
 Overview the articles: Skim the articles to get an idea of
the general purpose and content of the article (focus your
reading here on the abstract, introduction and first few
paragraphs, and the conclusion of each article).
 Group the articles into categories (e.g. into topics and
subtopics and chronologically within each subtopic).

 Take notes
1-Identify major trends or patterns: As you read a range of
articles on your topic, you should make note of trends and
patterns over time as reported in the literature.
2- If necessarily, select useful quotes that you may want to

include in your review: Important: If you copy the exact words
from an article, be sure to cite the page number as you will
need it (THOUGH; I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT AT ALL).

 Take notes
3- Identify gaps in the literature:, and reflect on why these
might exist (based on the understandings that you have
gained by reading literature in this field of study). These gaps
will be important for you to address as you plan and write your
review.
4- Keep your review focused on your topic: make sure that the
articles you find are relevant and directly related to your topic.
5- Evaluate your references : you have to decide at what point
you are finished with collecting new studies so that you can
focus on writing up your findings.
Step 3: Summarize the literature in table or
concept map format
 It is recommended to build tables as a key way to help you
overview, organize, and summarize your findings of such
literature survey, THUS including one or more of the tables
that you create may be helpful in your literature review.
 You can create the table that may be relevant to your
review to include:
• Definitions of key terms and concepts and
investigation.
• Time frame
• Research methods
• Summary of research results
Step 4: Synthesize the literature prior to
writing your review
 Consider your purpose before beginning to write.
 Consider how you reassemble your notes.
 Create a topic outline that traces your argument.
 Within each topic heading, note differences among studies.
 Within each topic heading, look for obvious gaps or areas
needing more research.

Step 4: Synthesize the literature prior to
writing your review
 Plan to describe relevant theories.
 Plan to present conclusions and implications.
 Plan to suggest specific directions for future research near
the end of the review.
 Flesh out your outline with details from your analysis.

 Identify the broad problem area, but avoid global
statements.
 Early in the review, indicate why the topic being reviewed is
important.
 Indicate why certain studies are important
 If citing a classic or landmark study, identify it as such
 If a landmark study was replicated, mention that and
indicate the results of the replication
 Discuss other literature reviews on your topic

 Refer the reader to other reviews on issues that you will not
be discussing in details.
 Avoid long lists of nonspecific references (working papers,
unpublished papers, conference papers. …others).
 If the results of previous studies are inconsistent or widely
varying, cite them separately
 Cite all relevant references in the review section of thesis,
dissertation, or journal article.

 Remember, each literature should include:
• Definitions of key terms and concepts and
investigation.
• Time frame
• Research methods
• Summary of research results


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Chapter 4

The Research Process –

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1

7) Report Writing( Interpretation of results)

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 2

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 4

 Main types of variables:

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 5

 Dependent variable (DV)

 Independent variable (IV)

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 6

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 7

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 8

 Familiarize yourself with online databases, identifying

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 9

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 10

2- If necessarily, select useful quotes that you may want to

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 11

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 14

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 15

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 16

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 17

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 18

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