Introduction
Identifying a research gap in one’s field of study is often one of the most daunting tasks researchers and academicians go through in the research process. It poses a challenge for researchers who are new to the field or at the beginning of their studies. In this blog, we talk comprehensively about what a research gap is and what is its importance in research as well as the steps to go about in identifying a gap in your area of research and how to pursue it to make innovative research.
What is a research gap?
A research gap, also known as a literature gap, is defined as a question or a problem that has not been answered by any of the existing studies. A research gap may also be found where all of the existing research is obsolete and new research is needed.
Types of research gaps
You may put research gaps into seven different types:
Empirical gap
An empirical gap is one that deals with discrepancies in previous studies.
Knowledge gap
A knowledge gap might emerge in literature from relevant research disciplines or a study’s findings that deviate from what was predicted.
Evidence gap
An Evidence gap is caused by discrepancies in previous research findings when study data allow for conclusions but are contradictory when seen from a more abstract perspective.
Theoretical gap
The theoretical gap is a type of gap that deals with the inconsistencies between theory and previous research.
Population gap
This gap refers to population research that is under-represented or under-researched in the evidence base or earlier study (for example, gender, race/ethnicity, age etc).
Methodology gap
This gap addresses previous studies’ research methodologies and proposes a new avenue of inquiry that is distinct from those methods.
Importance of identifying a research gap
It is important for a researcher to understand how to do a gap analysis as it allows one to complete the project with ease and with minimal stress. The importance of gap identification is listed below:
Offers insight into the problem statement
The statement of the problem, usually the first chapter of a research project, helps one clearly define the study and how it will be used to further expand on existing research or bridge the gap that an existing study was not able to fill.
Helps improve the objectives of the study
Gap identification helps to improve and strengthen the objectives of the study. Clear and precise objectives aid in focusing the research and identifying relevant factors, as well as guiding you through the research process.
Provides suggestions on how the methodology should be implemented
Gap detection is crucial for a research project’s methodology, which entails researching the methods employed in your area of study, as well as the theories or principles behind them, in order to design a strategy that matches your objectives.
Helps give ideas on how to write suggestions for further studies
After completing your project, you are able to suggest new areas of research. It includes building on a particular finding, addressing a flaw in your research or examining a new theory in a new context or location.
Steps to identifying a research gap
Start by making a list of any questions you have regarding your topic to determine if they have already been satisfactorily answered through the following steps:
Choose a topic or issue that motivates you
Because research can take a long time and entail a lot of physical, mental, and emotional labor, pick a topic that will keep you engaged throughout the process.
Find keywords and terms that are related to your topic
This will assist you in the next phase, when you identify the key words and use them in your research, you start to discover new information and make it easy for you to identify a gap.
Use the keywords to conduct a literature search
Identify relevant articles and cited literature in papers based on your findings in the previous phase.
Check out the systematic reviews
These articles look into the literature and explore trends and developments in a topic or field of study, as well as give literature summaries, which can save a lot of time and can be very instructive and useful.
Tools that can assist you in identifying a research gap
There are various tools that can help you save time in your research and gain a better understanding of current trends and topics of interest in your field of study.
- Google trends: You can use this tool to compare different topics and see which one is popular. Google Trends includes a regional interest index showing which topics are trending in various countries and related searches, which display queries that are similar to yours
- Essential Science Indicator: Is a website that provides information about the most cited articles in each discipline, as well as new areas emerging in that field, notable personalities, publications, and countries.
- Websites and digital tools: Google AdWords, Springer, Social Mention, and a wide Reader are just a few examples. These websites provide data such as question popularity, various bars and charts that show trends over time, the most recent articles that have been downloaded and their associated tags, and so on.
Challenges you may face
For a variety of reasons, identifying gaps and developing unique and novel themes can be difficult. Here are some of the difficulties you may encounter while identifying research gaps in your chosen field of study:
- Enormous amount of information: In an area of interest, there could be a lot of unresolved questions. As a result, you may become overwhelmed by the number of research gaps you come across and unsure of which one to focus on.
- Hesitation to challenge established norms: Some researchers are hesitant to question what others have stated in their work because they lack the confidence to challenge the current knowledge in their field.
- Difficulty organizing information: Some researchers may have trouble organizing the information they’ve gathered. If ideas aren’t written down properly, they can quickly be forgotten.
Conclusion
To summarize, a research gap is nothing more than a research necessity. When identifying a research gap, consider the issues and flaws in the article you choose to discover gaps and discuss them with experts to come up with new research ideas. Experts in the subject will assist you in determining the study area as well as correcting any errors in your approach. If you have an idea for a question you’d want to work on, you may discuss it with our experts, get their feedback, and make modifications to make it better. Remember also, technology is here to help us and utilization of the tools we have mentioned above will go a long way in helping you in your gap identification.