The research gap is the academic justification for your entire dissertation. Without a clearly argued gap, your research has no purpose. Yet most students write something like: "Previous research has been limited and more research is needed." That is a description, not an argument. Supervisors know the difference immediately.
What a Research Gap Actually Is
A research gap is a specific, demonstrable deficit in the existing body of knowledge that your study will address. There are four types:
- Empirical gap: No studies have examined X in context Y (e.g., your industry, region, or time period)
- Theoretical gap: Existing theories conflict or fail to explain a phenomenon
- Methodological gap: Prior studies have used methods with identified limitations
- Population gap: Research exists but not for your specific demographic or sector
Step 1: Build a Literature Map
Before you can identify a gap, you must understand the landscape. Create a thematic map of existing literature: What has been studied? By whom? In which contexts? Using which methods? Over what time periods? A simple table or concept map works well for this. After mapping 25–40 key articles, patterns of omission become visible.
Step 2: Identify the Tension
Look for contradictions between studies, or for phenomena that existing theory predicts but evidence does not support. For example: "Smith (2021) and Jones (2022) both find positive effects of X on Y in Western contexts, yet no studies examine this relationship in emerging markets, where institutional factors differ fundamentally (Lee, 2023)."
Step 3: Write the Gap as an Argument
A defensible gap statement has three components: (1) what exists, (2) what is missing and why it matters, (3) what your study will contribute. Example structure:
"While extensive research has examined X in [context A] (Smith, 2020; Jones, 2021; Lee, 2022), there is a conspicuous absence of empirical investigation into [specific phenomenon] within [context B]. This is particularly significant given [theoretical/practical reason]. The present study addresses this gap by [your contribution]."
Step 4: Position Your Study
The final sentence of your gap statement should name your study's specific contribution. Not "this study will add to knowledge" — but exactly what knowledge it adds, to which theoretical framework, and with what practical implications.