{"id":21968,"date":"2019-05-05T10:36:08","date_gmt":"2019-05-05T04:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=21968"},"modified":"2023-07-21T17:47:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T11:47:37","slug":"identifying-research-gaps-to-pursue-innovative-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/identifying-research-gaps-to-pursue-innovative-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Identifying Research Gaps to Pursue Innovative Research"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"background: white;margin: 0in 0in 12.75pt 0in\"><span style=\"font-size: 13.5pt;font-family: 'Open Sans',serif;color: black\">This article is an excerpt from a lecture given by my\u00a0Ph.D.\u00a0guide, a researcher in public health. She advised us on how to identify research gaps to pursue innovative research in our fields.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 22.5pt;line-height: 107%;font-family: 'Open Sans',serif;color: black\">What is a Research Gap?<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"background: white;margin: 0in 0in 12.75pt 0in\"><span style=\"font-size: 13.5pt;font-family: 'Open Sans',serif;color: black\">Today we are talking about the research gap: what is it, how to identify it, and how to make use of it so that you can pursue innovative research. Now, how many of you have ever felt you had discovered a new and exciting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/how-to-develop-good-research-question-types-examples\/\">research question<\/a>, only to find that it had already been written about? I have experienced this more times than I can count. Graduate studies come with pressure to add new knowledge to the field. We can contribute to the progress and knowledge of humanity. To do this, we need to first learn to identify research gaps in the existing literature.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"background: white;margin: 0in 0in 12.75pt 0in\"><span style=\"font-size: 13.5pt;font-family: 'Open Sans',serif;color: black\">A research gap is, simply, a topic or area for which\u00a0missing or insufficient information limits the ability to reach a conclusion for a question. It should not be confused with a research question, however. For example, if we ask the research question of what the healthiest diet for humans is, we would find many studies and possible answers to this question. On the other hand, if we were to ask the research question of what are the effects of antidepressants on pregnant women, we would not find much-existing data. This is a research gap. When we identify a research gap, we identify a direction for potentially new and exciting research.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/app.monstercampaigns.com\/c\/dfuovyfhrxpj5ownvf2z\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-40304 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/PRW_E-book2022-900-\u00d7-270-px-1.jpg\" alt=\"peer review\" width=\"900\" height=\"270\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/PRW_E-book2022-900-\u00d7-270-px-1.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/PRW_E-book2022-900-\u00d7-270-px-1-470x141.jpg 470w, https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/PRW_E-book2022-900-\u00d7-270-px-1-750x225.jpg 750w, https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/PRW_E-book2022-900-\u00d7-270-px-1-768x230.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/PRW_E-book2022-900-\u00d7-270-px-1-150x45.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 900px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 900\/270;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>How to Identify Research Gap?<\/h2>\n<p>Considering the volume of existing research, identifying research gaps can seem overwhelming or even impossible. I don\u2019t have time to read every paper published on public health. Similarly, you guys don\u2019t have time to read every paper. So how can you identify a research gap?<\/p>\n<p>There are different techniques in various disciplines, but we can reduce most of them down to a few steps, which are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/things-need-know-writing-good-research-question\/\">Identify your key motivating issue\/question<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Identify key terms associated with this issue<\/li>\n<li>Review the literature, searching for these key terms and identifying relevant publications<\/li>\n<li>Review the literature cited by the key publications which you located in the above step<\/li>\n<li>Identify issues not addressed by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pcori.org\/assets\/Identifying-and-Prioritizing-Research-Gaps1.pdf\">the literature relating to your critical<\/a>\u00a0motivating issue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is the last step which we all find the most challenging. It can be difficult to figure out what an article is\u00a0<em>not<\/em>\u00a0saying. I like to keep a list of notes of biased or inconsistent information. You could also track what authors write as \u201cdirections for future research,\u201d which often can point us towards the existing gaps.<\/p>\n<h2>Different Types of Research Gaps<\/h2>\n<p>Identifying research gaps is an essential step in conducting research, as it helps researchers to refine their research questions and to focus their research efforts on areas where there is a need for more knowledge or understanding.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Knowledge gaps<\/h3>\n<p>These are gaps in knowledge or understanding of a subject, where more research is needed to fill the gaps. For example, there may be a lack of understanding of the mechanisms behind a particular disease or how a specific technology works.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Conceptual gaps<\/h3>\n<p>These are gaps in the conceptual framework or theoretical understanding of a subject. For example, there may be a need for more research to understand the relationship between two concepts or to refine a theoretical framework.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Methodological gaps<\/h3>\n<p>These are gaps in the methods used to study a particular subject. For example, there may be a need for more research to develop new research methods or to refine existing methods to address specific research questions.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Data gaps<\/h3>\n<p>These are gaps in the data available on a particular subject. For example, there may be a need for more research to collect data on a specific population or to develop new measures to collect data on a particular construct.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Practical gaps<\/h3>\n<p>These are gaps in the application of research findings to practical situations. For example, there may be a need for more research to understand how to implement evidence-based practices in real-world settings or to identify barriers to implementing such practices.<\/p>\n<h2>Examples of Research Gap<\/h2>\n<h3>Limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms of a disease:<\/h3>\n<p>Despite significant research on a particular disease, there may be a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disease. For example, although much research has been done on Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, the exact mechanisms that lead to the disease are not yet fully understood.<\/p>\n<h3>Inconsistencies in the findings of previous research:<\/h3>\n<p>When previous research on a particular topic has inconsistent findings, there may be a need for further research to clarify or resolve these inconsistencies. For example, previous research on the effectiveness of a particular treatment for a medical condition may have produced inconsistent findings, indicating a need for further research to determine the true effectiveness of the treatment.<\/p>\n<h3>Limited research on emerging technologies:<\/h3>\n<p>As new technologies emerge, there may be limited research on their applications, benefits, and potential drawbacks. For example, with the increasing use of artificial intelligence in various industries, there is a need for further research on the ethical, legal, and social implications of AI.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Deal with Literature Gap?<\/h2>\n<p>Once you have identified the literature gaps, it is critical to prioritize. You may find many questions which remain to be answered in the literature. Often one question must be answered before the next can be addressed. In prioritizing the gaps, you have identified, you should consider your funding agency or stakeholders, the needs of the field, and the relevance of your questions to what is currently being studied. Also, consider your own resources and ability to conduct the research you\u2019re considering. Once you have done this, you can narrow your search down to an appropriate question.<\/p>\n<h2>Tools to Help Your Search<\/h2>\n<p>There are thousands of new articles published every day, and staying up to date on the literature can be overwhelming. You should take advantage of the technology that is available. Some services include\u00a0<u>PubCrawler<\/u>,\u00a0<u>Feedly<\/u>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.co.kr\/schhp\" class=\"broken_link\">Google Scholar<\/a>, and\u00a0PubMed updates. Stay up to date on social media forums where scholars share new discoveries, such as Twitter. Reference managers such as\u00a0<u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mendeley.com\/?interaction_required=true\">Mendeley<\/a><\/u>\u00a0can help you keep your references well-organized. I personally have had success using Google Scholar and PubMed to stay current on new developments and track which gaps remain in my personal areas of interest.<\/p>\n<p>The most important thing I want to impress upon you today is that you will struggle to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/choose-good-research-topic-phd\/\">choose a research topic<\/a>\u00a0that is\u00a0innovative and exciting\u00a0if you don\u2019t know the existing literature well.\u00a0This is why identifying research gaps starts with an extensive and thorough\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.read.enago.com\/?utm_source=academy&#038;utm_medium=referral&#038;utm_campaign=keywords&#038;utm_term=article\">literature review<\/a>. But give yourself some boundaries.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to read every paper that has ever been written on a topic. You may find yourself thinking you\u2019re on the right track and then suddenly coming across a paper that you had intended to write! It happens to everyone- it happens to me quite often. Don\u2019t give up- keep reading and you\u2019ll find what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n<p>Class dismissed!<\/p>\n<p>How do you identify research gaps? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display:flex; gap:10px;justify-content:\" class=\"wps-pgfw-pdf-generate-icon__wrapper-frontend\">\n\t\t<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21968?action=genpdf&amp;id=21968\" class=\"pgfw-single-pdf-download-button\" ><img data-src=\"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/plugins\/pdf-generator-for-wp\/admin\/src\/images\/PDF_Tray.svg\" title=\"Generate PDF\" style=\"width:auto; height:45px;\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\"><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"CreativeWorkSeries\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"aggregateRating\": {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"@type\": \"AggregateRating\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"bestRating\": \"5\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"ratingCount\": \"23\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"ratingValue\": \"4.74\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t},\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"image\": \"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/research-gap2.jpg\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"name\": \"Identifying Research Gaps to Pursue Innovative Research\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"description\": \"Identifying Research Gaps to Pursue Innovative Research\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article is an excerpt from a lecture given by my\u00a0Ph.D.\u00a0guide, a researcher in public&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8169,"featured_media":21969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1319,1336],"tags":[1618],"ppma_author":[1908],"class_list":["post-21968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beyond-publishing","category-phd-cafe","tag-tips-for-phd-students-and-postdocs"],"better_featured_image":{"id":21969,"alt_text":"Research gaps","caption":"","description":"A research topic or area which has insufficient data to conclude a research question is usually termed as a research gap. 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