A test automation framework is essentially a set of guidelines for creating and designing test cases. It is a conceptual part of automated testing that helps testers to use resources more efficiently.

Website: Techopedia, Online: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/30670/test-automation-framework, last visit: 03.09.2019 [Techopedia]

A test automation Framework incorporates (a) test processes that provides guidelines for planning, creating, executing, and reporting test scenarios and test cases and (b) a tool chain that provides capabilities for supporting test process steps to support test automation.

Paper: D. Winkler, K. Meixner and S. Biffl, "Towards Flexible and Automated Testing in Production Systems Engineering Projects," 2018 IEEE 23rd International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA), Turin, 2018, pp. 169-176. [IEEE]