Introduction
Starting a PhD thesis represents a significant milestone in an academic's career but choosing a topic is just the beginning. One of the challenges facing research scholars is the need to identify an appropriate research gap. Despite studying dozens of journal articles and research papers, researchers face the challenge of understanding what is missing from the literature and how their proposed study can contribute value.
A research gap provides the context and direction for a thesis. It explains the rationale, necessity, and contribution of a study of a given topic. Without a clearly-defined gap, it can be challenging to develop suitable research objectives, a convincing research proposal, and a pertinent methodology.
In this guide, we will look at methods and examples of how to find a research gap for a PhD thesis, including a step-by-step approach. Management, engineering, computer science, education or healthcare research scholars can use the methods below to develop a more focused research direction.
What Is a Research Gap in a PhD Thesis?
A research gap is an inconsistency, limitation, question, or unexplored area of research in a body of work. It represents something that has not been sufficiently explained or investigated. For example, several studies may investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) is used to enhance customer service in large organisations. However, little information may be available on how small businesses can use AI to improve their customer experience in a specified market. After a researcher has investigated the literature, they may determine that this area deserves further research.
However, a topic is not necessarily a research gap just because it is new. There should be some evidence from previous studies that show what is known and where additional research is needed.
A well-defined PhD research gap should be pertinent to a subject, evidence-based according to reliable literature, feasible to investigate, and relevant to the academic community or audience.
Why Is Identifying a Research Gap Important?
A research gap is the cornerstone of a well-planned thesis. It is the link between a literature review and the research problem, objectives, questions, and methodology.
Below are a few reasons why research gap identification is crucial:
- Establishes research originality. A research gap helps explain how a study can contribute additional value.
- Strengthens the research proposal. A clearly-defined research gap provides the rationale for a study.
- Assists with topic selection. A research gap can help narrow a general topic to a research problem.
- Guides research objectives. A research gap can help determine what needs to be investigated.
- Informs research methodology. When a gap is identified, scholars can choose suitable strategies to gather and analyse evidence.
- Improves the literature review. Instead of simply summarising what previous authors have written, a research gap helps determine what the review should compare, contrast, and investigate.
For these reasons, research gap identification should be an ongoing activity throughout the research process and not a task reserved for the last minute.
Practical Methods to Identify a Research Gap for Your PhD Thesis
1. Begin With a Broad Research Area
Before identifying a research gap, a scholar needs to select the area they want to investigate. A broad area can help generate ideas but it is essential not to confuse a broad topic with a research gap.
For example, a researcher may begin their work in digital marketing and narrow their focus to social media advertising and purchase decisions. This step allows them to understand the concepts, key authors, and relevant studies to their topic.
At this point, ask yourself:
- What subject or problem interests me the most?
- What issues are researchers currently investigating?
- What the pertinent issues in my area of study?
- Are there sufficient resources for this study?
It is important to bear in mind that your initial area of study may change as you review more literature. This is a normal part of the research process.
2. Conduct a Focused Literature Review
A literature review is one of the most effective ways to identify a research gap. It is a process of reviewing previous studies, comparing their findings, investigating how knowledge in the field has evolved, and determining what is missing from the literature. The literature review for a PhD synopsis is an essential step.
Begin by searching academic databases for relevant, reliable sources. Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science are excellent places to start. If you are studying medicine, you may want to search PubMed and other databases pertinent to your field. Use different combinations of search terms and keywords instead of relying on a single phrase.
For exmaple, if your research topic is AI in small organisations, try searching:
- Artificial intelligence in small businesses
- AI adoption in small enterprises
- Barriers to AI implementation
- AI and business performance
- Digital transformation in SMEs
Begin by reviewing titles and abstracts to determine which papers to read in greater detail.
When reading the body of the texts, pay close attention to the introduction, literature review, methodology, and limitations. Each paper will have its own structure but these sections are the best places to find evidence of a research gap.
In addition, remember that a few articles are not sufficient to justify a research gap. You should have a comprehensive understanding of the existing research and be able to identify why previous works have fallen short.
3. Compare the Findings of Previous Studies
One of the most effective research gap analysis methods is a comparison of the evidence found in the literature. Comparison helps identify inconsistencies, limitations, and areas where further research is needed. Do not simply summarise the findings of previous studies but look for patterns and similarities.
For example, one paper may investigate online learning and conclude that it increases student engagement, while another study finds that it does not have a noticeable effect. Differences in findings between two pieces of research can highlight a research gap.
When investigating these differences, ask yourself:
- Were the samples used in both studies comparable?
- Did the researchers use the same research design and strategy?
- Were the findings based on similar populations?
- Are there any factors that were not investigated sufficiently?
It is important to remember that you should not simply assume that conflicting evidence proves that a research gap exists. You should look for an explanation for the inconsistencies.
4. Examine the Limitations of Existing Research
Many research papers have a limitations section that explains what the study could not investigate fully. Limitations can highlight areas of investigation for future studies. The following are common limitations in research:
- A small or unrepresentative sample size
- Research conducted in a single area
- A short data collection period
- Few variables or factors investigated
- Reliance on self-reported data
- The absence of a control group
- Lack of investigation of specific populations
For example, several studies may investigate employee satisfaction but use a sample of data from large businesses. This can be the basis for a research gap related to employee satisfaction in small businesses, provided the limitation is relevant and adequately supported with other research.
However, do not copy a limitation from one paper and use it as the basis for your research. Check whether subsequent studies have investigated it and explain why it may still be pertinent.
5. Look for Underexplored Populations and Research Settings
Research findings can vary significantly according to the populations and settings that are investigated. Research scholars can identify a research gap by investigating whether a finding applies to all populations and settings or whether the evidence applies only to specific groups.
For example, if most research scholars have investigated digital learning in urban universities, another researcher can look at how it is implemented and received in rural institutions. This could represent a population and/or contextual gap in the literature.
However, identiying a different population or setting is not sufficient. You should justify why the characteristics of the proposed location or group are pertinent to the study.
6. Explore New Developments in Your Research Field
New technologies, policies, social trends, and practices can create research questions that have never been investigated before. New developments can be a good source of inspiration when searching for research gaps.
For example, increasing use of generative AI in education creates questions about student learning and writing, the implications for educators, and potential solutions. A researcher may want to investigate how students use AI writing tools during their postgraduate studies and what role these technologies play in their learning.
However, this is only the beginning of the research process. You will need to conduct further research and review recent journal articles and review papers to ensure that this unexplored question is a true research gap.
7. Create a Literature Review Matrix
A literature review matrix is a tool used to organise and review information about the reviewed papers. Creating a matrix can simplify research gap identification because patterns are easier to spot.
You can create a matrix in a spreadsheet by including the following information:
| Research detail | What to record |
| Author and year | Who conducted the study and when |
| Research objective | What the study aimed to investigate |
| Methoology | Qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, or another approach |
| Sample or context | Participants, location, industry, or setting |
| Main findings | The most important results |
| Limitations | What the study could not fully address |
| Future research | Questions suggested by the authors |
| Possible gap | What remains unclear after comparing the evidence |
After reviewing several papers, compare the information you have recorded and look for patterns.
Types of Research Gaps With Examples
Research gaps can take different forms depending on the subject and the evidence available. Below are the most common types of research gaps. Although they can be used as a framework, remember that this is not an exhaustive list for every discipline.
Knowledge Gap
A knowledge gap exists when an important question has not been adequately answered.
Example: A body of research explains how a specific teaching method affects examination results but does not fully investigate its effects on students' learning retention.
Methodological Gap
A methodological gap may arise if previous studies use an inadequate approach to investigate a research problem. Alternatively, a methodological gap can occur if scholars want to investigate a concept using an untested alternative research design.
Example: Most of the literature on workplace stress uses self-reported questionnaires but does not investigate how it affects workers' health throughout the working year. A researcher may want to use repeated measurements to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the issue.
Population Gap
A population gap refers to a limitation or lack of investigation of a finding in a specific population.
Example: Research into a digital learning method mainly involves undergraduate students but has not been investigated among postgraduate research scholars.
Contextual or Geographical Gap
This type of gap is similar to a population gap but relates to the context of an investigation.
Example: The effectiveness of a business strategy has been investigated in multinational companies but not in small businesses in a specific market.
Evidence Gap
An evidence gap arises when studies show contradicting results or insufficient evidence to investigate a concept.
Example: Some studies find that flexible working increases productivity while others find no connection. Further investigation could look at the factors that contribute to this discrepancy.
Theoretical Gap
A theoretical gap can arise if an observed finding cannot be explained by an existing theoretical framework.
Example: A researcher wants to investigate whether a technology adoption theory explains small businesses' adoption of a new digital platform.
The best category depends on what your literature review reveals. You should not force your proposed study into one category if it does not fully fit.
Step-by-Step Example of Identifying a Research Gap
Let us continue with the example of a research scholar who is interested in digital marketing.
Step 1: Select a broad topic.
You begin your research with the broad subject of digital marketing and its effect on customers.
Step 2: Narrow the topic.
You narrow the topic to the effects of social media advertising and customer purchase decisions.
Step 3: Review relevant studies.
You review journal articles on social media advertisements and investigate how they might affect customers' purchasing behaviours.
Step 4: Compare the evidence.
You compare the findings of the reviewed studies and notice that some do not fully account for the effects of customers' privacy concerns.
Step 5: Identify the unresolved question.
You determine that the literature on the effects of social media advertising is insufficient to explain how privacy concerns influence customers' purchase intentions in this context.
Step 6: Check whether the gap is genuine.
You conduct further research and use different combinations of search terms to find relevant, recent studies. If this body of research has been investigated, you should revise your research problem instead of claiming that it is an unexplored issue.
Step 7: Formulate a research question.
Using the unresolved question you have identified, you can formulate a research question for your thesis. For example: "How do privacy concerns influence the relationship between social media advertising and purchase intention in young adult consumers in a selected market?" This is only an example and you would need to review actual academic sources to use this as a reference for your work.
How to Write a Strong Research Gap Statement
Once you have identified a research gap, you need to explain it clearly in your synopsis or other thesis documents. A strong research gap statement typically consists of three elements:
1. What the review of previous literature shows
2. The limitation or inconsistent evidence
3. How your research aims to investigate the issue
For example: “Previous studies have investigated the relationship between social media advertising and consumer purchase intention. However, the available evidence reviewed for this paper suggests that the effect of the role of privacy concerns among the selected population requires further investigation. This study will investigate this relationship to develop a more complete understanding of this issue in the selected context.”
This is only an example: your final research gap statement depends on the evidence you have reviewed for your area of study.
A strong research gap statement should be specific, evidence-based, relevant to your research objectives, and realistic to investigate. Avoid vague statements such as "no research has been conducted on this topic" unless you have reviewed a substantial body of literature.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Identifying a Research Gap
Even experienced scholars can make mistakes when identifying a research gap. Below are some of the most common errors:
Choosing a topic before reviewing the literature. A topic you are interested in may have already been investigated extensively. Always review relevant studies before you finalise your research topic.
Relying on one research paper to define a gap. A single piece of research cannot show what is missing from an entire body of work. Always compare and contrast several pieces of research.
Confusing a research topic with a research gap. "Artificial intelligence in education" is a research topic but not a research gap.
Ignoring recent publications. A research gap identified years ago may have since been addressed.
Selecting an unrealistic problem to investigate. Your research should take your time, skills, resources, ethical considerations, and other factors into account.
Making unsupported originality claims. Always have evidence to justify why no other scholar has investigated your proposed study.
Selecting a research gap only because it is easy. Your research should be realistic but it should also investigate a topic that is pertinent to your field of study.
How StuIntern Can Support Your Research Gap Identification
Identifying a research gap can be a complex and time-consuming process. It requires close reading, comparison, and critical thinking about the reviewed material. It also requires an understanding of what you want to investigate and how to align it with the literature review component of your synopsis.
At StuIntern, we offer research-related assistance to students and research scholars. We can help you organise your literature, narrow the focus of your research, review a proposed research gap, structure a research synopsis, and align research objectives and methodology.
If you need help developing your PhD research gap, you can visit the Synopsis and Research Gap service page to learn more about the support we offer.
Your research should always be grounded in credible sources and your own academic judgment. A gap-identification process can help you create a stronger proposal and focus your thesis.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I identify a research gap for my PhD thesis?
Begin by narrowing a broad research area and review relevant journal articles and research papers. Compare their findings, research design, limitations, and recommendations. Look for uninvestigated issues and conduct a targeted search to verify that the proposed gap has not been investigated.
2. What are the best tools for finding research gaps?
Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and relevant databases in your field of study can help you locate research gaps. Additionally, reference-management tools and spreadsheet-based literature review matrices can help you compare and contrast the reviewed works.
3. How many research papers should I review to identify a gap?
There is no absolute number of research papers you need to review. The number of papers depends on your research field, topic, and objectives. It is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the literature but concentrate on what is pertinent to your research problem.
4. Can I identify a research gap from the limitations section of a paper?
Yes, the limitations and future research sections can highlight areas of investigation. However, verify this information by comparing it to other relevant studies.
5. What is the difference between a research gap and a research problem?
A research gap is what is missing, uncertain, or unexplored in a body of research. A research problem defines the issue your study will investigate.
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