How do you Write a Research Gap in PhD dissertation? 

Identifying a research gap is critical when it comes to a PhD dissertation. There are different types of research gaps. A research gap can be described as a topic or a field of study where additional research is required or has not been studied thoroughly.

The following steps can help you to identify a literature gap in research which is feasible and significant for your PhD dissertation. It is crucial to remember that the research gap should be genuine and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in your field.

1. Identify the research area: Begin by clearly stating the specific research area or topic you are addressing in your PhD dissertation. This will help contextualise the research gap within a defined scope. 
2. Review the available literature: Conduct a thorough literature review. in your field of study. Identify the main theories, concepts, and past research in your field. Examining the accessible literature will provide an overview of the available knowledge. Check our study guide to learn more about “How to write a literature review for a PhD Dissertation”.
3. Identify limitations or gaps: While conducting and writing the literature review, critically analyse and identify any limitations or research gap in literature review relevant to your research area. These limitations can include unanswered research questions, contradictions, inconsistencies, methodological shortcomings, or unexplored areas within the literature.
4. Consider practical implications: Think about the practical implications of your research. Is there a gap between the existing knowledge and real-world applications? Are there specific issues or challenges that practitioners or policymakers face for which a solution is lacking?
5. Formulate the research gap: Based on the identified limitations or gaps, clearly articulate the specific research gap that your < ahref="https://www.phdassistance.com/services/phd-dissertation/">PhD dissertation will address. State the specific aspect of knowledge that is missing or requires further investigation, highlighting why it is essential and relevant to your research.
6. Justify the significance: Explain how addressing the research gap is significant. Discuss how your research will contribute to the field. Does it fill a theoretical gap? Does it resolve any contradictory findings? Does it address a practical need or advance the understanding of a phenomenon?
7. Provide supporting evidence: Support your identification of the research gap with references to relevant literature. Cite studies, theories, or findings that demonstrate the existing gap in knowledge and how your research will address it.
8. Connect to the research objectives: Connect the identified research gap to your research objectives or questions. This will show how addressing the gap literature is critical to attaining the purpose of your PhD dissertation.

Remember that the research gap should be specific, clear, and well-supported by existing literature. It should provide a strong rationale for the importance and relevance of your research within the larger academic or professional context.

Check our literature review examples to understand how the research gap is written in a PhD Dissertation.

A research gap should be large enough to justify a PhD dissertation. Gap identification should add to existing information, have theoretical or practical ramifications, and be viable within the parameters of your research. Once you have discovered the research gap, you can formulate research questions or hypotheses and construct your study to address this gap.