forklaringsrammen

Forklaringsrammen is a term used in Norwegian and Danish academic writing to denote an explanatory framework. It refers to the conceptual structure that guides how researchers explain a phenomenon, by specifying the key concepts involved, the assumed relationships between them, and the mechanisms that link cause and effect.

A forklaringsrammen provides a lens for analyzing data and interpreting results. It helps articulate the theoretical assumptions behind a study, delimit the scope of inquiry, and clarify what counts as evidence for or against particular explanations. Components typically include the theoretical background, the central constructs or variables, hypothesized or argumentative links among them, potential mediators or moderators, and the contextual or boundary conditions that shape explanations.

In practice, researchers develop a forklaringsrammen by linking research questions to existing theory, defining constructs, and outlining how these constructs are expected to relate. This framework can guide data collection, measurement, and analysis, and it may be used to structure a qualitative narrative or to specify analytic models in quantitative work. It is often distinguished from a conceptual framework, which focuses more on the relationships among concepts, and from a broader theoretical framework, which may encompass a wider set of theories.

The forklaringsrammen is not a fixed theory; it is a guiding structure that can be refined as evidence accumulates. Its strength lies in making explicit the causal assumptions and the logic of the explanation, while acknowledging alternative explanations and the limits of the proposed connections.