Creating tables and diagrams to describe theoretical, conceptual, and analytical frameworks

Doctoral supervisors (and often, editors!) will ask you to create a conceptual, theoretical and/or analytical framework for your book, dissertation, chapter, or journal article. This is a good idea. I used to get confused by all the “framework”-associated terms, so I wrote

THIS blog post:

Writing theoretical frameworks, analytical frameworks and conceptual frameworks https://t.co/DeAqoV5xcQ

This post helped me clarify the differences between TF, AF, and CF. Frequently, a graphic depiction is way, way way more helpful than just words on paper.

— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) August 5, 2020

Like I have done in other blog posts of mine, I am going to show you several graphic and table-based depictions of frameworks that may help you think through how you can visually explain the concepts you are using to analyze what you are analyzing.

Here is the 411:

I find it incredibly useful to draw diagrams (often times, mind maps or conceptual diagrams, or even fish-bone diagrams) to show how variables are linked with each other and how these factors help explain a phenomenon. You can (and I often do) use tables for this purpose. Like with the frameworks, we often link the words “theoretical”, “conceptual” and “analytical” with the word “diagram”.

Around 2015-ish, I published a framework that helps scholars and analysts think about environmental non-governmental organizations…

You can download the Pacheco-Vega 2015 Double Grid Framework chapter here https://t.co/0Hpzp7iVEZ

Anyhow, the framewok is comprised of three components:
1) Two tables describing the dimensions of domestic and international influence
2) Two grids to showcase case studies.

— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) August 5, 2020

Years later, @AmandaMurdie and I did a quantitative, empirical test of the Double Grid Framework https://t.co/UNiUX4mFzR

(happy to email you a PDF if you’re not able to download it).

In this article, Amanda and I developed an amended version of the framework, now our own. pic.twitter.com/rgkfVi5k6q

— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) August 5, 2020

As you can see, in our work, we use diagrams and tables to develop more clearly the theoretical constructs underlying our analysis.

Now, another example I like, a framework developed by @chris_weible and @tanyaheikkila – The Policy Conflict Framework https://t.co/TkbgvWTjhm

— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) August 5, 2020

You may also find (as Chris and Tanya may have discovered as they wrote this paper) that you need ADDITIONAL diagrams to help explain the entirety of the phenomenon you are trying to investigate. This is also normal.

What you’d need to do in your paper, book, chapter, etc… pic.twitter.com/cugEujT2SO

— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) August 5, 2020

… each level of conflict intensity is connected to actors’ political positions and how these interact with other factors.

Another one (OBVIOUSLY WE ALL KNOW I WAS GOING TO CITE THIS ONE) whose graphic depiction I love is the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework. pic.twitter.com/ogJFNkgS5L

— Dr Raul Pacheco-Vega (@raulpacheco) August 5, 2020

To be perfectly honest, I always looked up to Lin and Vincent Ostrom for how to write good tables and diagrams that depicted theoretical, conceptual and analytical frameworks. There are many other frameworks developed by the Ostroms, and pretty much all of them have tables/diagrams.

In sum, your development of theoretical, conceptual and analytical frameworks is well served by depicting these in table form or in graphic, diagrammatic form. What I usually do is – I read A METRIC TONNE of books and articles to see how other authors develop theirs.

And then, I think through how I want to write my own.

I do hope this blog post is useful to anyone who is trying to develop “a theoretical figure” or a “conceptual table”.

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