*Note: This guide assumes you have a research topic and sources to read. If you don’t, use the links below first to find some articles to read. If you find your source’s language hard to understand, consider this process.
Many assignments and competencies involve research. Research is how scholars, nurses, psychologists, historians and students discover the existing picture of an entire topic. Often, you will be asked to examine what is missing (to find or fill a gap). It’s not enough to read one recent article or source and say “That’s what my topic is like today.” For example, if you want to know the current state of trauma-informed counseling in the U.S., one doctor’s book on the subject won’t cover everything!
Good research means looking at a bigger sample of work on a topic, asking questions, finding patterns, and using high-level analysis to identify gaps and support arguments. For more on Argumentative Thesis and research in general, visit this playlist or the Shapiro Library’s Getting Started guide.
A research gap, simply put, is a hole in the picture that experts have on a topic. Through studying the example above, trauma-informed counseling, I might find that experts haven’t studied enough men over 50. Lack of information on that demographic of people (subjects) could then be my gap. “Trauma-informed counseling has yet to be applied to men over 50 in a meaningful way.”
How to Find a Research Gap
- Start with the abstract (synopsis, summary) of articles you find. These usually include keywords, some of which could be limitations or future implications of the research on your topic. Skim the article to see the general information about the article, and look for patterns
- Look at each section heading (title( of the article and note if there is a Limitations section. This section is where the authors of the article show where their own research can be expanded, where it “fell short” and what future researchers (in this case, you) can look into to learn more on the topic.
- Use word search (generally Ctrl + F) and type in words like “limit” or “future” or “benefit.” This will aid in finding the limitations authors found of their own study, and what future research could benefit from. These can then lead to gaps in the research that has been done in the past.
- If the above tips don’t help you find the gap, or if you want more clarity, try a meta-analysis or systemic review. Look for the studies your source uses and read those, too. Find their citations (Jones, 1999) and read their work, to see how concepts and studies build on each other. The work will typically examine trends and changes. Examining it all can make it easier to identify what has been done and what still may need to be done.
- Use databases and journals that specifically deal with the subject you’re studying (psychology, history, healthcare) as they tend to have a key concept section which also can be a good source of identifying a gap. Ex. ProQuest has specific Psychology, Healthcare, Business categories where your search can be more refined. See the “Getting Started” link above for more on how to find articles for your subject, or chat with a librarian.
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