Theoretical foundation (in a research or thesis): definition and parts

In any research project there should always be a section or section in which we explain to the reader what is the theoretical foundation on which our study is based. This theoretical and conceptual framework will serve as the basis for arguing the project or thesis to be defended.

In this article we explain how to prepare the foundation, its parts and objectives, as well as the functions that this section fulfills in a research study.

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What is the theoretical foundation of an investigation?

According to William Daros, an Argentine researcher and professor of philosophy, in all self-respecting research there must be a theoretical framework or foundation that fulfills the following functions:

1. Make it possible to describe problems in a body of knowledge

Since the old theories do not seem to explain the current problem, it is about generating new ones., so that the problems have a new meaning in reference to them.

2. Giving meaning to facts or phenomena

The theoretical foundation of a project or research should guide the organization of the facts or phenomena studied. What is a fact in one theory may not be the same "fact" in another.

3. Being the integrating axis of the entire research process

Without the theoretical foundation, the problem does not make sense, nor can we proceed to develop a methodological design with which to test the hypotheses.

4. To be a fundamental instrument for the analysis of problems

This analysis implies considering the parts separately (abstraction), when considering them in terms of a totality. This information is then enriched with the synthesis (in which the parts meet the composition).

How to develop the theoretical framework in an investigation

The elaboration of the theoretical foundation in a thesis or research work is part of one of the fundamental tasks when it comes to constructing and base a job that requires large doses of patience, perseverance and curiosity. After all, it is about asking questions such as what investigations have been carried out so far; who, how and where has carried them out; or consider new hypotheses that generate answers that, in turn, return to generate new questions.

All research must refer to a system or a theoretical orientation in which to situate. Unless a researcher invents his own theory, most research generally tries to add new hypotheses and data to studies that have been done before.

Hence, to build this section it is essential review and analyze existing literature, so that our own theoretical convictions can be reaffirmed or, on the contrary, discarded or underline the differences found.

In addition to collecting and analyzing bibliographical references, formulate hypotheses that can be demonstrated throughout the study. The researcher needs to present answers that anticipate the questions about a specific fact or social phenomenon.

It is convenient to formulate the central argument of the investigation, which will be later contrasted with empirical data. It is, then, that there is a theoretical intuition that guides the entire study.

Each research project will use its particular arguments and ideas, although in all of them The basic concepts that are going to be used must be described, due to the theory in which they are used. sustain.

And finally, Every researcher must make the objectives and purpose of their work explicit.: the why and wherefore of your research, in order to answer questions such as: What do I want to achieve with this study? Or what concepts and arguments am I going to use to demonstrate this hypothesis?

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His objectives

The theoretical framework or foundation is still the demonstration of our theoretical position or argument on which we base the research study, as well as the ideas with which we relate and the judgments that we share or not with other authors.

The main objectives of this section are the following:

1. Developing research from an innovative perspective

We try to be pioneers in ideas and make differences with other authors.

2. Situate the object of study within a framework of knowledge

It is also necessary to use a set of concrete theoretical definitions.

3. Present a glossary of terms and ideas

This glossary is made from the terms that are going to be used during the analysis of the research topic.

4. Grant reliability or trustworthiness to the choice of a methodology

The use of measurement instruments, the data collection process and the way of evaluating the results are justified.

Parts of a theoretical foundation

The framework or theoretical foundation of an investigation is usually divided into several sections: the bibliographic background, the theoretical bases and the definition of terms. Let's see what each of them consists of.

Bibliographic background

In this section of the theoretical foundation section the background of the investigation should be included; that is, all those previous works and investigations that are related to the approach and objectives of the current study.

The information collected in this section It can be both books and publications in scientific journals, whether they are articles, compilations, meta-analyses, etc.

In general, there are two kinds of antecedents: the theoretical ones, which are all those arising from sources such as books or documentation, which expose ideas or theories on a particular subject; and the field antecedents, which are all those investigations that are carried out with subjects or in the field experimental, with the objective of collecting numerical data or descriptive information about some fact in particular.

Theoretical bases

The theoretical bases are a set of concepts and theories that constitute the particular point of view or approach that the author has used to explain what the research that has been carried out consists of and is based on.

The theoretical bases section constitutes the core of any research study, since it is on these theories that the work in question is built. If you have a good theoretical basis, the study will be better founded and will have greater validity. In addition, they can be divided according to their nature into psychological, philosophical, legal, among others, depending on what is required to be argued in the study.

Definition of terms

In this section of the theoretical foundation, the author will try to define the terms of the words and the concepts that he will use in his research, through the use of technical language and with the aim of allowing the reader to better understand the study, in addition to giving it coherence and sense to the same

In short, the objective of this section is to describe, analyze and establish the meaning of the most abstruse concepts or those that may present some ambiguity, and that require, on the part of the author, a more detailed analysis in order to understand the study in its context and accurately.