Depending on whether you are seeking a DBA or a PhD, it is of paramount importance that you identify an overall organizing structure in the literature using either a conceptual framework (DBA students) or theoretical framework (PhD students). As previously mentioned, it is important to be able to relate the issues discussed within the review to theory or other frameworks that already exist in the field. This will allow you to show how your study will contribute to practice and/or theory. For this assignment, you will identify how your literature review fits within a conceptual framework(s) or theoretical framework(s) within your specialization.
As you have been collecting and reading your scholarly sources thus far, you should have been noting the conceptual or theoretical frameworks used by the authors. This was part of digesting the information within a scholarly source that you worked on in Weeks 2 and 3. In addition, you have been working to form themes in developing your outline in Week 4 and noting what frameworks were used within each theme/(sub)topic. In Weeks 5 and 6, you summarized, critically analyzed, and synthesized the literature you collected thus far. All the while, you also continued to collect additional scholarly sources, write, receive feedback on your writing, incorporate that feedback, and continue on. In other words, you have been partaking in the iterative process of writing a literature review. This assignment is geared toward further honing your literature review by helping you determine the conceptual or theoretical framework that you will use to couch your paper.

• Look back at the scholarly resources you have read thus far. Describe the conceptual and/or theoretical frameworks used by the authors.

• Compare and contrast how your topic relates to each of those frameworks used.

• Based on your analysis, which framework best applies to your topic? Note that you may find that none of the frameworks seem to really fit your topic. This is a normal part of the writing process. If you find this is the case, please explain how the frameworks in your sources do not fit your topic. This should help illuminate where you should search in the literature to find a framework that applies to your study, which you can then discuss here.

• Justify why this conceptual/theoretical framework applies to your topic area and literature search. Also ensure your chosen framework reflects your degree type.

• Discuss how the framework interweaves into your literature review.