What Is Conceptual Background? Writing It in a Thesis or Paper

Conceptual background is not a term the sources used here define. In thesis and paper writing it is used for the part of a document that sets out the concepts, theories and relationships behind a study, so the reader can see what lens or tools you will use on the problem. It overlaps with the theoretical framework, the conceptual framework and the general background section, and which label applies depends on your institution’s guidelines.

This guide maps the phrase onto the sections it usually means, shows what each source says belongs in them, and gives a checklist built from a university helpsheet.

What does ‘conceptual background’ mean?

Because the sources used here do not define it, the phrase is best read as a pointer to one of three things:

• A background section. The context that leads to the research problem. See writing a background section.
• A theoretical framework or theoretical background. Federation University Australia’s research-frameworks helpsheet describes a theoretical framework as one based on a pre-established theory, an ‘off-the-shelf’ lens through which the data is viewed. It says this is generally part of the literature review or follows it, in a section titled ‘Theoretical Framework or Theoretical Background’.
• A conceptual framework. The same helpsheet describes this as a combination of different conceptual approaches used together, ‘built’ from various concepts, a set of concepts and variables that jointly guide an investigation. It notes the terminology is often conflated and used interchangeably. For the distinction in detail, see conceptual framework vs theoretical framework.

If your supervisor, department or journal uses the phrase, ask which of these they mean and follow their template. The helpsheet itself states that ‘there is no specific format’.

Purpose of the section

The section connects the gap in the literature to the tool you will use on it. Federation University’s helpsheet puts it this way: the job of the literature review is to expose the gap, and the job of the theoretical or conceptual framework is to show the reader the conceptual tool or tools you will use to address or make sense of the gap. The USC Libraries guide adds that a theoretical framework consists of concepts together with their definitions, and that it should guide the study throughout the paper.

Structure

There is no mandated order. The steps below combine what the Federation helpsheet and the USC Libraries guide each recommend.

1. Place it after the gap is clear. USC notes the full framework emerges only after a thorough review of the literature, so draft it once your literature review has shown what is missing.
2. Name the theory or concepts and define them. State which theories or concepts you use and what each means in your study. USC advises clearly describing the framework, concepts, models or theories that underpin the study, adding historical context only when necessary.
3. Justify the choice. Say why this theory or set of concepts, and why not another approach. Federation asks for this directly.
4. Use only what you need. Federation advises using only the elements of the theory or theories that do the job, and explaining why if you adapt them.
5. Relate the concepts to each other and to your aims. Say how the concepts connect, and link them to your research aims. USC asks you to state assumptions and link them to your methods and findings.
6. State limitations. Both sources say to note the limitations of the chosen theory or concepts.

Write theory in the present tense, as USC recommends.

A short annotated example

Illustrative composite written for this guide, not drawn from a real thesis. The theories named are the ones Federation University uses as examples.

(1) Existing studies describe how learners respond to classroom tasks but do not explain why responses differ. (2) This study uses Piaget’s concepts of assimilation and accommodation to interpret those differences. (3) Only these two concepts are used, because the study does not address later stages of development. (4) Assimilation is taken here to mean…

• Sentence 1 states the gap, the literature review’s job.
• Sentence 2 names the tool, the framework’s job.
• Sentence 3 uses only the elements needed, as Federation advises.
• Sentence 4 begins defining a concept for this study, in line with USC’s description of a framework as concepts together with their definitions.

Federation’s helpsheet also gives a contrast: a single established theory such as Piaget’s is a theoretical framework, while combining a theory such as Maslow’s with another theory builds a conceptual framework.

Common mistakes

• Treating the terms as interchangeable without checking. The helpsheet says they are subtly different even though they are often conflated. Check what your institution expects.
• Listing theories without saying why. Federation asks you to say why you chose those theories over another approach.
• Importing a whole theory. Federation advises using only the elements you need.
• Leaving the framework unconnected to the study. USC says the framework should guide the study throughout the paper and that methodology should link back to it.
• Omitting limitations. Both sources say to note them. Do not confuse them with study limitations and delimitations; see research limitations vs delimitations.

Checklist

Adapted from the nine questions in Federation University’s helpsheet:

• Are the theories linked to my aims?
• Which theories, and which elements of them, am I using?
• Why did I choose them over alternatives?
• Have I distinguished the relevant schools of thought?
• Which concepts am I using, and are they linked to my aims?
• How do the concepts relate to each other?
• What is my ontological and epistemological outlook?
• What are the limitations?

Discipline differences

Purdue OWL notes that in many humanities articles the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework, and that a review can discuss theories, models and definitions of key concepts. In those fields the conceptual material may therefore sit inside the literature review rather than in a separate section. For proposals, see also how long a research proposal should be.

FAQ

What is the difference between conceptual background and theoretical framework?

Conceptual background is not defined by the sources used here, while theoretical framework is. Federation University describes a theoretical framework as a pre-established theory used as a lens, and a conceptual framework as concepts combined to guide an investigation.

How is it different from the background of the study?

The background gives the context that leads to the problem. The conceptual or theoretical material explains the tools used to address the gap that context reveals.

Where does it go in a thesis or paper?

Federation says a theoretical framework is generally part of the literature review or follows it. USC lists its theoretical framework page under the introduction while saying the framework should guide the study throughout. Follow your institution’s template.

What is an example?

Piaget’s assimilation and accommodation used alone is a theoretical framework example from Federation; combining Maslow’s concepts with another theory is its conceptual framework example. See the annotated example above.

Sources

• Federation University Australia, HDR helpsheet ‘Research frameworks’ (2025): https://www.federation.edu.au/siteassets/files/students/study-skills/hdr_research_frameworks_helpsheet-2025.pdf. Checked 2026-10-29.
• USC Libraries, Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper, ‘Theoretical Framework’: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/theoreticalframework. Checked 2026-10-29.
• Purdue OWL, ‘Writing a Literature Review’: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/writing_a_literature_review.html. Checked 2026-10-29.