How are theoretical and conceptual frameworks different?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The main difference between theoretical and conceptual frameworks is that conceptual frameworks are individually developed by researchers to provide a conceptualization of their study, whereas theoretical frameworks are pre-existing bodies of knowledge that are used to guide research questions and hypotheses. This means that conceptual frameworks are more specific to a particular study and are constructed by the researcher themselves, while theoretical frameworks are more general and already exist in the academic literature. Neither type of framework is inherently more appropriate for quantitative or qualitative studies, and both can be used in either approach. Finally, while theoretical frameworks are used to generate new theory, conceptual frameworks are typically used to help test existing theory or explain relationships between variables in a particular study.

How Are Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks Different