If you are a researcher who is going to conduct his maiden research, then you should know that finding a research gap is the first step. Very few researchers find this gap readily, while most researchers struggle to locate the right gap. The primary reason behind this is the use of methods that are outdated, or they do not even know how to search for a gap. Whatever the case is, learning how to find a gap in the current body of knowledge is important. Keeping this in view, in today’s article, we will discuss the top 6 tricks that can help you find a research gap for your dissertation. Before that, let’s explain the meaning of a gap.
What is a research gap?
A research gap is any research problem or research question that has not been answered yet. When you read a research paper or a research article, you realize that there is considerable space for more research on this topic. In other words, you can say that no one has picked up and worked on these ideas. Thus, a research gap refers to such areas of a field that has the scope for further research. Hence, this is what a gap is.
Top tricks to find research gap for your dissertation
After reading the information above, you now have got a good idea of the meaning of a gap. Now, you may be wondering how to find a research gap for your dissertation. To your knowledge, there is no defined process to locate the gap within a field. However, there are some tricks following which you can easily find the gap. Hence, a brief description of all the top tricks is as follows:
Read the published literature
The first and most important step in finding a research gap for your dissertation is by reading the published literature within your field. By going through the published work, you will not only know the depth of the work produced by the researchers in your field but also have an idea of what needs improvement. Don Davis, a professor of economics at Columbia University, says, “Read what has been published in your field and question everything.”
Read the “Suggestions for future research.”
Many research documents have a section named “suggestions for future research” at the end. These suggestions are basically the research gaps that you can address in your research study. These areas are typically identified by the author himself and contain valuable information about what can be done further in the field. Hence, go through this section, no matter what happens, and get an idea of the research gap present.
Seek help from your supervisor
The research supervisor is the guiding star for you. Due to his experience in academia, he knows where there is a need for further research. So, discuss the potential research gaps that you have found early on with your research supervisor. This detailed discussion on the research gaps present in your field with the supervisor will prove to be very fruitful for your future research. However, you must visit your professor during visiting hours only.
Use digital tools
Digital research tools can help you a lot in finding a research gap for your dissertation. By using those tools, you can get information on the most cited research papers in your field. There are some websites on the internet that also identify emerging branches in any field. One of those websites is Essential Science Indicator. You can also use Google Trends to see what is trending in any research field.
Check the website of journals
Checking the website of the most influential journals is another good trick to finding a research gap for your dissertation. The websites of prominent journals have a section called “Key Concepts.” In this section, the researchers of a particular field highlight the central ideas in that field. Reading through this section can help you a lot in gaining valuable insights into the field and generating new ideas.
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Take help from outside
Taking help from outside or a writing company is another good trick. The online dissertation writing services have researchers who can identify a perfect research gap for your dissertation. The reason is that it is the job of the writers of such companies, and they do it in the best way. Therefore, you must give thought to taking help from outside.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, a research gap is an area that is still unexplored and unanswered within a field. Finding this area is critical to writing a perfect dissertation. In this guidepost, we have discussed the top 6 tricks that can help you find that unexplored area. Hence, make sure that you go through each trick given above and find the correct gap.
Author Bio:
This is Aryan, I am a professional SEO Expert & Write for us technology blog and submit a guest post on different platforms- Technoohub provides a good opportunity for content writers to submit guest posts on our website. We frequently highlight and tend to showcase guests
