Theoretical frameworks help researchers overcome their personal biases when carrying out experiments. Researchers often let their biases guide them without realizing it. Therefore, researchers must understand their biases so they can have greater insight into their experimental results. In addition, understanding their theoretical framework will allow researchers to consider using other frameworks in the study.
The framework contains cases that the researcher is focused on studying. Cases are usually people, but they can be groups, animals or events. These cases have features known as variables. Variables can include things like age, sex, weight, attitude and race. The variables are either independent or dependent variables. The dependent variable is the variable the researcher is trying to predict, and the independent variable is one of various factors that can influence the results of the dependent variable. For example, an independent variable, such as the research subject's gender, can affect a study on the attitudes on illegal racing.
Frameworks usually have a specific problem the researcher is trying to solve. Researchers try to understand the world they live in, but their lack of knowledge prevents them from doing so. Researchers seek to overcome these problems by discovering whether things are hidden in a study, whether a relationship exists between different items in a study and what causes a specific event.
One theoretical framework is the scientific method. Researchers usually have a question they want to answer. They then formulate a hypothesis, a prediction of what the answer to the question will be. They must then create an experimental design through which they collect data needed to determine whether their hypothesis is accurate.
Collected data can come in many forms. Data can be numerical, which tends to be the most accurate form of measurement. However, data can also be a collection from observations that the researcher has made or opinions that research subjects hold. Data collection can be expensive and time-consuming. Since researchers cannot always realistically sample everyone in a specific population, researchers have to sample specific segments of the population.
After collecting the data, researchers must determine whether the data matches the hypothesis. When it does match, researchers must collect more data to see whether the results are reproducible. If the results are not reproducible, then researchers must consider a different hypothesis. When the hypothesis accumulates enough supporting data, then researchers begin to see the hypothesis as a valid theory.