Conceptual framework

Before beginning our research we wanted to make sure that a) we had a solid and up-to-date theoretical foundation, and b) all partners shared a common understanding of the key concepts underpinning our work.

The first activity of the project was therefore to develop a “conceptual framework”.

This is a research tool that is used to introduce and organise all of the ideas, concepts and hypotheses used in a research project. The development of a “conceptual framework” is a typical first step in many Horizon 2020 research projects.

The AgriLink conceptual framework built upon state-of-the-art knowledge about how farmers make decisions, the role of agricultural advisory organisations in these decision-making processes, how advisory organisations are organised and governed, and what is their contribution to learning and innovation.

The framework was developed by researchers and practitioners through an integrated transdisciplinary process. Together, they wrote, edited and reviewed the main text of the framework document and prepared a set of so-called ‘theory primers’. The theory primers were reference documents that provided an introduction to key research topics, including an outline of the key points and resources for further reading.

A short presentation of the conceptual framework can be found here: