Theories Classification

– Theory frames how we look at and think about a topic. It gives us concepts, provides basic assumptions, directs us to the important questions, and suggests ways for us to make sense of data. Theory enables us to connect a single study to the immense base of knowledge to which other researchers contribute . . . (Neuman ۲۰۰۰, p. ۶۰).– Some researchers base their research on one single theoretical framework, whereas others draw from a combination to generate their own theories. You may become interested in conducting research into Interpreting because you have studied a particular theory and may want to apply it to an interpreting problem to test its validity. Alternatively, you may be motivated by a practical problem and are interested in solving it by researching it. If you fall in the first category, you will probably conduct basic, explanatory, quantitative research within a hypothetic-deductive paradigm. If you fall in the second category, you will probably conduct applied, exploratory or descriptive, qualitative research within an inductive paradigm.– In qualitative research that does not follow a specific theory, it is useful to develop a ‘conceptual framework’ for the study (Maxwell ۲۰۱۳; Miles and Huberman ۱۹۹۴). A conceptual framework ‘explains, either graphically or in narrative form, the main things to be studied – the key factors, constructs or variables – and the presumed relationships among them. Frameworks can be rudimentary or elaborate, theory-driven or commonsensical, descriptive or causal’ (Miles and Huberman ۱۹۹۴, p. ۱۸). Basically, a conceptual framework helps you to think through what is going on in the area that you want to study.