Theory As Framework For Research - Coursework Example

Nursing Theory as Framework for Research It is unimaginable to think of research with no theory and concept in its framework. The conceptual framework consists of concepts that are sequentially designed. On the other hand, a theoretical framework offers a structure that serves as a reference basis for definitions of concepts, observations, interpretations, research design and generalization. Most of the studies published in the past 15 years are more conceptualized within nursing theories and concepts.

However, some of the studies that center on comparison or of historical aspects of nursing lack theoretical frameworks. One such study is that of Bond et al. (2010) that offers a descriptive analysis of research articles published five years ago. Though this study seeks to determine the studies that use a theoretical framework and those that don’t, it lacks a theoretical framework itself. This study identified whether nursing researchers employed theory in their research and the kind of theory employed in the studies.

A research study that lacks a theoretical framework lacks organization. McEwen and Wills (2014) denote that this is because theoretical structure of a study directs the researcher in interpreting the information obtained. This, therefore, implies that Bond et al. (2010) lacks a connection with the existing knowledge. Since the study lacks a theoretical and conceptual framework, the researchers cannot address theoretical assumptions. This implies that the study does not seek to respond to “how” and “why” (McEwen and Wills, 2014).

Therefore, there is no intellectual transition that comes from recounting a phenomenon observed to take a broad view on numerous aspects of the phenomenon.ReferencesBond, E. A., Eshah, N. F., Bani-kahled, M. B., Hamad, A. O., & Hashneh, S. H. (2010). Who uses nursing theory? A univariate descriptive analysis of five years’ research articles. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 25(2), 405-409. doi:10.1080/13562517.2010.507308McEwen, M., & Wills, E. (2014). Theoretical basis for nursing (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins