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Building a conceptual framework

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Title: 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

3
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)

4
What is literature review?
  • Process and product
  • Range of student conceptions
  • List
  • Search
  • Survey
  • Vehicle for learning
  • Research facilitator
  • Report (Bruce, 1994)

5
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)
6
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)

7
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)

8
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

9
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

10
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
11
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)

12
Your turn Remember this is a pictorial view of
relationships
Graphics from http//classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ACES100
/Mind/c-m2.html
13
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

14
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

15
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

16

17
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.

18
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
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