The inductive reasoning support offered by the theoretical framework set of the agile literature review approach

The theoretical framework set (level 0, level 1a, level 1b, and 1c) of the agile literature review approach (ALRA) is employed to guide the research methodology design and, subsequently, data analysis on the research findings (inevitably involving both quantitative and qualitative findings).Since the theoretical framework itself is not a set of hypothesis statements to be tested, the theoretical framework set is not primarily used to directly support deductive reasoning in dissertation projects in terms of the theoretical framework items. 

Nevertheless, students can conduct hypothesis testing in their dissertation project works, as long as these tests, constituting specific research methods, are useful to address the high-level research objectives as identified the theoretical frameworks in ALRA; the theoretical framework could include theories [as analytical ideas] that justify the formulation of specific hypothesis statements to be tested; in this case, the testing exercise is deductive in nature. Thee high-level research objectives in the theoretical framework set are more often than not evaluative in nature.

The theoretical framework set, notably level 1a, comprises groups of analytical concepts gathered via literature review, which serve as sensitizing, evaluative and explanatory concepts to inform concrete research method design and, later, to conduct theory-driven analysis of research methods findings. Thus, the ALRA theoretical framework set is employed to support inductive reasoning in research projects primarily, without excluding some secondary deductive reasoning tasks. The inductive reasoning, informed by the literature review findings [i.e. theoretical framework level 1a] in this case is intended to come up with some " grounded theories" [from the dissertation research findings] to evaluate and explain the dissertation research findings; these dissertation projects are mainly case study research in nature. 

[The notions of inductive and deductive reasoning are the ones explicated by Gill, Johnson and Clark (2010, Chapter 2)].

Reference

Gill, J., Johnson P. and Clark, M. 2010. Research Methods for Managers, Sage, London.

*** A revision video on inductive and deductive reasoning/ approaches.