Find a Theoretical Framework

A framework should come from the literature, not from a list. See who used what, and where.

Common starting points

A theoretical framework is supposed to do work: it decides what counts as data, what relationships you look for, and what an unexpected result would mean. Chosen from a list of famous theorists rather than from the literature on your problem, it becomes decoration — a section the reader skips and the analysis never refers to again. The test is simple. Remove the theorist's name from your analysis paragraphs and see whether they still say anything specific about your data. Seeing which frameworks have actually been applied to problems like yours, and what they let those authors see, is how you choose one that survives that test.

How do I know my framework is doing work?

Remove the theorist's name from the analysis and see if the paragraphs still say something about your data. If not, it is decoration.

Can I use more than one framework?

Sometimes, but each one has to earn its place. Two frameworks that say the same thing about your data means one is redundant.

What if no framework fits my problem?

That is worth stating explicitly and is sometimes the contribution. Forcing a fit is more damaging than acknowledging the gap.