Material Detail

The search for a research gap often stalls because it is treated as a search for an area of the literature that nobody has studied. This article instead defines a research gap as an unanswered question or unresolved problem in a field, and distinguishes four types: classic, disagreement, contextual and methodological gaps. Each type is illustrated with a gap statement quoted from a completed thesis.

The article argues that most gaps lie within well-studied areas, and it sets out a two-step procedure for locating a gap in recent literature. It is suited to courses on proposal writing, literature reviewing and research design at master's and doctoral level. The article is the formal edition of a piece first published by Grad Coach and is released under CC BY 4.0.

This will delete the comment from the database. This operation is not reversible. Are you sure you want to do it?

Thank you for reporting a broken "Go to Material" link in MERLOT to help us maintain a collection of valuable learning materials.

If you feel this material is inappropriate for the MERLOT Collection, please click SEND REPORT, and the MERLOT Team will investigate. Thank you!

You are being taken to the material on another site. This will open a new window.

Do not show me this again