A research gap is not simply a topic that has received little attention. It is a meaningful limitation, uncertainty or unresolved question within existing knowledge.

This practical SRS guide helps students, research scholars and independent researchers identify genuine research gaps, assess their significance and develop stronger research questions.

What you'll learn

• What constitutes a meaningful research gap.
• Why an unexplored topic is not automatically a research gap.
• Six ways research gaps can emerge from existing literature.
• How to search, compare and evaluate previous studies.
• How to assess the importance and feasibility of a proposed gap.
• How to formulate a research gap statement and corresponding research question.

What's included

The 10-page guide contains conceptual explanations, common misconceptions, a worked example, a literature evidence matrix, a research gap evaluation framework, a guided worksheet and a final quality checklist.

How to use this guide

1. Read the explanations and examples to understand what distinguishes a genuine gap from a superficial claim of novelty.
2. Identify a possible uncertainty, limitation or unanswered question in your research area.
3. Search relevant scholarly literature to establish what is already known.
4. Use the evidence matrix to compare existing studies.
5. Evaluate the proposed gap for significance, evidence and feasibility.
6. Complete the worksheet and formulate a preliminary research question.

Remember: A research gap must be supported by careful engagement with existing literature. The absence of publications alone does not establish that a research problem is important.

Suitable for: Undergraduate students, postgraduate students, PhD scholars, early-career academics and independent researchers.