determine changes and potential implications for the region. Hydrophilic interaction liquid
chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS/MS) was utilized to determine the presence of any known and emerging PSTs in sample extracts.
2. Adapted from :
The exchange process frequently observed in polypyrrane condensations is proposed to occur by the acid-catalyzed fragmentation of a polypyrrane into pyrrolic and azafulvene components.15 As illustrated in Scheme 2, recombination of and can form a new polypyrrane that cannot be formed by direct condensation of the dipyrromethane and aldehyde. Ultimately this process leads to the production of a scrambled mixture of porphyrins. The factors that promote the scrambling process in MacDonald-type 2 + 2 condensations are poorly understood, but suppression of scrambling is essential for preparing large quantities of pure trans-porphyrins. In this paper we describe a study of a wide range of reaction conditions for the 2 + 2 condensation that has led to refined synthetic procedures for the preparation of trans-porphyrins.
3. Adapted from :
In the present paper, we focus on laser wake field acceleration in a new, highly non-linear regime. It occurs for laser pulses shorter than λ(p) but for relativistic intensities high enough to break the plasma wave after the first oscillation. In the present relativistic regime, one should notice that the plama wave fronts are curved and first break new the wave axis and for lower values than the plane-wave limit. This has been studied in 2D geometry in [14-17]. Here, we present 3D PIC simulations of two representative cases. The case (I) is just marginally above and the case (II) is far above the breaking threshold.
[bg_faq_start]
Good gap and fill signaling phrases are italicized.
1. “The factors that promote the scrambling process in MacDonald-type 2 + 2 condensations ….”
“ a study of a wide range of reaction conditions for the 2 + 2 condensation that has led to refined synthetic procedures for the preparation of trans-porphyrins.”
2. This question is a little trickier! The authors use “In the present paper…,” then, “In the present regime…,” and finally, “Here…,” all of which sound like signaling words for filling the gap. But where is the gap? We have to look closely at what exactly is being said. It is true that the first statement appears to be somewhat of a gap fill, although they haven’t yet given us a gap statement. The authors go on to say “This has been studied in 2D geometry,” which brings us back to move 1(iii), identifying critical evidence from the literature.
Thus, the is not explicit. It is a combination of stating that this concept has been studied in 2D, followed by announcement that the authors will study it in 3D.
: “ 3D PIC simulations of two representative cases.”
Although the first sentence (“… we focus on laser wake field acceleration…”) could also be considered part of the fill, because it comes before the gap statement and is also less descriptive, it functions more as an introduction to these moves.
3. According to the national monitoring program in Portugal, G. catenatum along the Portuguese coast during the 10-year period from 1995 to 2005.”
to fully characterize the toxin profile of G. catenatum strains isolated from the NW Portuguese coast before and after the 10-year absence of blooms to
determine changes and potential implications for the region.”
[bg_faq_end]
[bg_faq_end]
[bg_faq_start] Find 3-4 primary research articles (not reviews) from reputable journals in your field. Underline the gap statement and circle the gap fill. Remember that not all papers follow this exact move structure, so if you can’t seem to find either of these moves, you might have to look carefully at different parts of the introduction and ask yourself: [bg_faq_end] |
A step-by-step guide for new researchers
By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | April 2023
If you’ve got a dissertation, thesis or research project coming up, one of the first (and most important) things you’ll need to do is find a suitable research gap . In this post, we’ll share a straightforward process to help you uncover high-quality, original research gaps in a very time-efficient manner.
As a starting point, it’s useful to first define what we mean by research gap, to ensure we’re all on the same page. The term “research gap” gets thrown around quite loosely by students and academics alike, so let’s clear that up.
Simply put, a research gap is any space where there’s a lack of solid, agreed-upon research regarding a specific topic, issue or phenomenon. In other words, there’s a lack of established knowledge and, consequently, a need for further research.
Let’s look at a hypothetical example to illustrate a research gap.
Within the existing research regarding factors affect job satisfaction , there may be a wealth of established and agreed-upon empirical work within a US and UK context , but very little research within Eastern nations such as Japan or Korea . Given that these nations have distinctly different national cultures and workforce compositions compared to the West, it’s plausible that the factors that contribute toward job satisfaction may also be different. Therefore, a research gap emerges for studies that explore this matter.
This example is purely hypothetical (and there’s probably plenty of research covering this already), but it illustrates the core point that a research gap reflects a lack of firmly established knowledge regarding a specific matter . Given this lack, an opportunity exists for researchers (like you) to go on and fill the gap.
So, it’s the same as a research topic?
Not quite – but they are connected. A research gap refers to an area where there’s a lack of settled research , whereas a research topic outlines the focus of a specific study . Despite being different things, these two are related because research gaps are the birthplace of research topics. In other words, by identifying a clear research gap, you have a foundation from which you can build a research topic for your specific study. Your study is unlikely to resolve the entire research gap on it’s own, but it will contribute towards it .
If you’d like to learn more, we’ve got a comprehensive post that covers research gaps (including the different types of research gaps), as well as an explainer video below.
Now that we’ve defined what a research gap is, it’s time to get down to the process of finding potential research gaps that you can use as a basis for potential research topics. Importantly, it’s worth noting that this is just one way (of many) to find a research gap (and consequently a topic). We’re not proposing that it’s the only way or best way, but it’s certainly a relatively quick way to identify opportunities.
Step 1: Identify your broad area of interest
The very first step to finding a research gap is to decide on your general area of interest . For example, if you were undertaking a dissertation as part of an MBA degree, you may decide that you’re interested in corporate reputation, HR strategy, or leadership styles. As you can see, these are broad categories – there’s no need to get super specific just yet. Of course, if there is something very specific that you’re interested in, that’s great – but don’t feel pressured to narrow it down too much right now.
Equally important is to make sure that this area of interest is allowed by your university or whichever institution you’ll be proposing your research to. This might sound dead obvious, but you’ll be surprised how many times we’ve seen students run down a path with great excitement, only to later learn that their university wants a very specific area of focus in terms of topic (and their area of interest doesn’t qualify).
Step 2: Do an initial literature scan
Once you’ve pinned down your broad area (or areas) of interest, the next step is to head over to Google Scholar to undertake an initial literature scan . If you’re not familiar with this tool, Google Scholar is a great starting point for finding academic literature on pretty much any topic, as it uses Google’s powerful search capabilities to hunt down relevant academic literature. It’s certainly not the be-all and end-all of literature search tools, but it’s a useful starting point .
Within Google Scholar, you’ll want to do a few searches using keywords that are relevant to your area of interest. Sticking with our earlier example, we could use the key phrase “job satisfaction”, or we may want to get a little more specific – perhaps “job satisfaction for millennials” or “job satisfaction in Japan”.
It’s always a good idea to play around with as many keywords/phrases as you can think up. Take an iterative approach here and see which keywords yield the most relevant results for you. Keep each search open in a new tab, as this will help keep things organised for the next steps.
Once you’ve searched for a few different keywords/phrases, you’ll need to do some refining for each of the searches you undertook. Specifically, you’ll need to filter the results down to the most recent papers . You can do this by selecting the time period in the top left corner (see the example below).
Filtering to the current year is typically a good choice (especially for fast-moving research areas), but in some cases, you may need to filter to the last two years . If you’re undertaking this task in January or February, for example, you’ll likely need to select a two-year period.
Step 3: Review and shortlist articles that interest you
Once you’ve run a few searches using different keywords and phrases, you’ll need to scan through the results to see what looks most relevant and interesting to you. At this stage, you can just look at the titles and abstracts (the description provided by Google Scholar) – don’t worry about reading the actual article just yet.
Next, select 5 – 10 articles that interest you and open them up. Here, we’re making the assumption that your university has provided you with access to a decent range of academic databases. In some cases, Google Scholar will link you directly to a PDF of the article, but in most cases, you’ll need paid access. If you don’t have this (for example, if you’re still applying to a university), you can look at two options:
Open-access articles – these are free articles which you can access without any journal subscription. A quick Google search (the regular Google) will help you find open-access journals in your area of interest, but you can also have a look at DOAJ and Elsevier Open Access.
DeepDyve – this is a monthly subscription service that allows you to get access to a broad range of journals. At the time of shooting this video, their monthly subscription is around $50 and they do offer a free trial, which may be sufficient for your project.
Step 4: Skim-read your article shortlist
Now, it’s time to dig into your article shortlist and do some reading. But don’t worry, you don’t need to read the articles from start to finish – you just need to focus on a few key sections.
Specifically, you’ll need to pay attention to the following:
By skimming through these three sections for each journal article on your shortlist, you’ll gain a reasonable idea of what each study was about, without having to dig into the painful details. Generally, these sections are usually quite short, so it shouldn’t take you too long.
Step 5: Go “FRIN hunting”
This is where the magic happens. Within each of the articles on your shortlist, you’ll want to search for a few very specific phrases , namely:
All of these terms are commonly found in what we call the “FRIN” section . FRIN stands for “further research is needed”. The FRIN is where the researchers explain what other researchers could do to build on their study, or just on the research area in general. In other words, the FRIN section is where you can find fresh opportunities for novel research . Most empirical studies will either have a dedicated FRIN section or paragraph, or they’ll allude to the FRIN toward the very end of the article. You’ll need to do a little scanning, but it’s usually pretty easy to spot.
It’s worth mentioning that naturally, the FRIN doesn’t hand you a list of research gaps on a platter. It’s not a silver bullet for finding research gaps – but it’s the closest thing to it. Realistically, the FRIN section helps you shortcut the gap-hunting process by highlighting novel research avenues that are worth exploring.
This probably sounds a little conceptual, so let’s have a look at a few examples:
The impact of overeducation on job outcomes: Evidence from Saudi Arabia (Alzubaidi, 2020)
If you scroll down to the bottom of this article, you’ll see there’s a dedicated section called “Limitations and directions for future research”. Here they talk about the limitations of the study and provide suggestions about how future researchers could improve upon their work and overcome the limitations.
Perceived organizational support and job satisfaction: a moderated mediation model of proactive personality and psychological empowerment (Maan et al, 2020)
In this article, within the limitations section, they provide a wonderfully systematic structure where they discuss each limitation, followed by a proposal as to how future studies can overcome the respective limitation. In doing so, they are providing very specific research opportunities for other researchers.
Medical professionals’ job satisfaction and telemedicine readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic: solutions to improve medical practice in Egypt (El-Mazahy et al, 2023)
In this article, they don’t have a dedicated section discussing the FRIN, but we can deduct it based on the limitations section. For example, they state that an evaluation of the knowledge about telemedicine and technology-related skills would have enabled studying their independent effect on the perception of telemedicine.
Follow this FRIN-seeking process for the articles you shortlisted and map out any potentially interesting research gaps . You may find that you need to look at a larger number of articles to find something interesting, or you might find that your area of interest shifts as you engage in the reading – this is perfectly natural. Take as much time as you need to develop a shortlist of potential research gaps that interest you.
Importantly, once you’ve developed a shortlist of potential research gaps, you need to return to Google Scholar to double-check that there aren’t fresh studies that have already addressed the gap. Remember, if you’re looking at papers from two years ago in a fast-moving field, someone else may have jumped on it . Nevertheless, there could still very well be a unique angle you could take – perhaps a contextual gap (e.g. a specific country, industry, etc.).
Ultimately, the need for originality will depend on your specific university’s requirements and the level of study. For example, if you’re doing an undergraduate research project, the originality requirements likely won’t be as gruelling as say a Masters or PhD project. So, make sure you have a clear understanding of what your university’s expectations are. A good way to do this is to look at past dissertations and theses for your specific programme. You can usually find these in the university library or by asking the faculty.
Once you’ve developed a shortlist of potential research gaps (and resultant potential research topics) that interest you, you’ll need to systematically evaluate them to choose a winner. There are many factors to consider here, but some important ones include the following:
To help you evaluate your options systematically, we’ve got a topic evaluation worksheet that allows you to score each potential topic against a comprehensive set of criteria. You can access the worksheet completely free of charge here .
We’ve covered quite a lot of ground in this post. Here are the key takeaways:
If you’d like to get hands-on help finding a research gap and research topic, be sure to check out our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the research journey, step by step.
This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...
Very useful for me, but i am still confusing review of literature review, how to find out topic related previous research.
Powerful notes! Thanks a lot.
This is helpful. Thanks a lot.
Thank you very much for this. It is really a great opportunity for me to learn the research journey.
Very Useful
It nice job
You have sharpened my articulations of these components to the core. Thanks so much.
It’s educative and an inspiring way of impacting research knowledge…
Thanks to the writer
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5-minute read
If you’ve been tasked with producing a thesis or dissertation, one of your first steps will be identifying a research gap. Although finding a research gap may sound daunting, don’t fret! In this post, we will define a research gap, discuss its importance, and offer a step-by-step guide that will provide you with the essential know-how to complete this critical step and move on to the rest of your research project.
Simply put, a research gap is an area that hasn’t been explored in the existing literature. This could be an unexplored population, an untested method, or a condition that hasn’t been investigated yet.
Identifying a research gap is a foundational step in the research process. It ensures that your research is significant and has the ability to advance knowledge within a specific area. It also helps you align your work with the current needs and challenges of your field. Identifying a research gap has many potential benefits.
Understanding the existing literature helps researchers avoid duplication. This means you can steer clear of topics that have already been extensively studied. This ensures your work is novel and contributes something new to the field.
Identifying a research gap helps shape your research design and questions. You can tailor your studies to specifically address the identified gap. This ensures that your work directly contributes to filling the void in knowledge.
Research that addresses a gap is more likely to have practical applications and contributions. Whether in academia, industry, or policymaking, research that fills a gap in knowledge is often more applicable and can inform decision-making and practices in real-world contexts.
Addressing a research gap can lead to advancements in the field . It may result in the development of new theories, methodologies, or technologies that push the boundaries of current understanding.
Identifying a research gap is crucial for strategic planning . It helps researchers and institutions prioritize areas that need attention so they can allocate resources effectively. This ensures that efforts are directed toward the most critical gaps in knowledge.
Researchers who successfully address significant research gaps often receive peer recognition within their academic and professional communities. This recognition can lead to opportunities for collaboration, funding, and career advancement.
1. clearly define your research topic .
Begin by clearly defining your research topic. A well-scoped topic serves as the foundation for your studies. Make sure it’s not too broad or too narrow; striking the right balance will make it easier to identify gaps in existing literature.
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A comprehensive literature review is a vital step in any research. Dive deep into the existing research related to your topic. Look for patterns, recurring themes, and consensus among scholars. Pay attention to areas where conflicting opinions or gaps in understanding emerge.
Critically evaluate the studies you encounter during your literature review. Assess the paradigms , methodologies, findings, and limitations of each. Note any discrepancies, unanswered questions, or areas where further investigation is warranted. These are potential indicators of research gaps.
Consider the perspectives presented in the existing literature. Are there alternative viewpoints or marginalized voices that haven’t been adequately explored? Identifying and incorporating diverse perspectives can often lead to uncharted territory and help you pinpoint a unique research gap.
Stay up to date with emerging trends.
The field of research is dynamic, with new developments and emerging trends constantly shaping the landscape. Stay up to date with the latest publications, conferences, and discussions in your field and make sure to regularly check relevant academic search engines . Often, identifying a research gap involves being at the forefront of current debates and discussions.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to experts in your field for guidance. Attend conferences, workshops, or seminars where you can interact with seasoned researchers. Their insights and experience can provide valuable perspectives on potential research gaps that you may have overlooked. You can also seek advice from your academic advisor .
Leverage tech tools to analyze patterns and trends in the existing literature. Tools like citation analysis, keyword mapping, and data visualization can help you identify gaps and areas with limited exploration.
Identifying a research gap is a skill that evolves with experience and dedication. By defining your research topic, meticulously navigating the existing literature, critically evaluating studies, and recognizing unexplored perspectives, you’ll be on your way to identifying a research gap that will serve as the foundation for your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .
If you need any help with proofreading your research paper , we can help with our research paper editing services . You can even try a sample of our services for free . Good luck with all your research!
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This article is an excerpt from a lecture given by my Ph.D. guide, a researcher in public health. She advised us on how to identify research gaps to pursue innovative research in our fields.
What is a Research Gap?
Today we are talking about the research gap: what is it, how to identify it, and how to make use of it so that you can pursue innovative research. Now, how many of you have ever felt you had discovered a new and exciting research question , only to find that it had already been written about? I have experienced this more times than I can count. Graduate studies come with pressure to add new knowledge to the field. We can contribute to the progress and knowledge of humanity. To do this, we need to first learn to identify research gaps in the existing literature.
A research gap is, simply, a topic or area for which missing or insufficient information limits the ability to reach a conclusion for a question. It should not be confused with a research question, however. For example, if we ask the research question of what the healthiest diet for humans is, we would find many studies and possible answers to this question. On the other hand, if we were to ask the research question of what are the effects of antidepressants on pregnant women, we would not find much-existing data. This is a research gap. When we identify a research gap, we identify a direction for potentially new and exciting research.
Considering the volume of existing research, identifying research gaps can seem overwhelming or even impossible. I don’t have time to read every paper published on public health. Similarly, you guys don’t have time to read every paper. So how can you identify a research gap?
There are different techniques in various disciplines, but we can reduce most of them down to a few steps, which are:
It is the last step which we all find the most challenging. It can be difficult to figure out what an article is not saying. I like to keep a list of notes of biased or inconsistent information. You could also track what authors write as “directions for future research,” which often can point us towards the existing gaps.
Identifying research gaps is an essential step in conducting research, as it helps researchers to refine their research questions and to focus their research efforts on areas where there is a need for more knowledge or understanding.
These are gaps in knowledge or understanding of a subject, where more research is needed to fill the gaps. For example, there may be a lack of understanding of the mechanisms behind a particular disease or how a specific technology works.
These are gaps in the conceptual framework or theoretical understanding of a subject. For example, there may be a need for more research to understand the relationship between two concepts or to refine a theoretical framework.
These are gaps in the methods used to study a particular subject. For example, there may be a need for more research to develop new research methods or to refine existing methods to address specific research questions.
These are gaps in the data available on a particular subject. For example, there may be a need for more research to collect data on a specific population or to develop new measures to collect data on a particular construct.
These are gaps in the application of research findings to practical situations. For example, there may be a need for more research to understand how to implement evidence-based practices in real-world settings or to identify barriers to implementing such practices.
Limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms of a disease:.
Despite significant research on a particular disease, there may be a lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disease. For example, although much research has been done on Alzheimer’s disease, the exact mechanisms that lead to the disease are not yet fully understood.
When previous research on a particular topic has inconsistent findings, there may be a need for further research to clarify or resolve these inconsistencies. For example, previous research on the effectiveness of a particular treatment for a medical condition may have produced inconsistent findings, indicating a need for further research to determine the true effectiveness of the treatment.
As new technologies emerge, there may be limited research on their applications, benefits, and potential drawbacks. For example, with the increasing use of artificial intelligence in various industries, there is a need for further research on the ethical, legal, and social implications of AI.
Once you have identified the literature gaps, it is critical to prioritize. You may find many questions which remain to be answered in the literature. Often one question must be answered before the next can be addressed. In prioritizing the gaps, you have identified, you should consider your funding agency or stakeholders, the needs of the field, and the relevance of your questions to what is currently being studied. Also, consider your own resources and ability to conduct the research you’re considering. Once you have done this, you can narrow your search down to an appropriate question.
There are thousands of new articles published every day, and staying up to date on the literature can be overwhelming. You should take advantage of the technology that is available. Some services include PubCrawler , Feedly , Google Scholar , and PubMed updates. Stay up to date on social media forums where scholars share new discoveries, such as Twitter. Reference managers such as Mendeley can help you keep your references well-organized. I personally have had success using Google Scholar and PubMed to stay current on new developments and track which gaps remain in my personal areas of interest.
The most important thing I want to impress upon you today is that you will struggle to choose a research topic that is innovative and exciting if you don’t know the existing literature well. This is why identifying research gaps starts with an extensive and thorough literature review . But give yourself some boundaries. You don’t need to read every paper that has ever been written on a topic. You may find yourself thinking you’re on the right track and then suddenly coming across a paper that you had intended to write! It happens to everyone- it happens to me quite often. Don’t give up- keep reading and you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Class dismissed!
How do you identify research gaps? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
A research gap can be identified by looking for a topic or area with missing or insufficient information that limits the ability to reach a conclusion for a question.
Identifying a research gap is important as it provides a direction for potentially new research or helps bridge the gap in existing literature.
Gap in research is a topic or area with missing or insufficient information. A research gap limits the ability to reach a conclusion for a question.
Thank u for your suggestion.
Very useful tips specially for a beginner
Thank you. This is helpful. I find that I’m overwhelmed with literatures. As I read on a particular topic, and in a particular direction I find that other conflicting issues, topic a and ideas keep popping up, making me more confused.
I am very grateful for your advice. It’s just on point.
The clearest, exhaustive, and brief explanation I have ever read.
Thanks for sharing
Thank you very much.The work is brief and understandable
Thank you it is very informative
Thanks for sharing this educative article
Thank you for such informative explanation.
Great job smart guy! Really outdid yourself!
Nice one! I thank you for this as it is just what I was looking for!😃🤟
Thank you so much for this. Much appreciated
Thank you so much.
Thankyou for ur briefing…its so helpful
Thank you so much .I’ved learn a lot from this.❤️
Very exciting and useful piece for researchers.
Your are awesome, it’s a great article.
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Research involves highlighting the questions that remain unanswered in your area of research. This is often referred to as ‘identifying the gap’ in the literature and tells the reader what areas need further investigation in your research area. Identifying ‘the gap’ in your research is fundamental to finding your position in an ongoing conversation by deciding how much you accept, question, or reject the claims that your sources make.
When you start to write about that research, you need to figure out how to signal that position, as you quote, summarize, or paraphrase from your sources.
Read the following text and note the way the researcher identifies the gap in the research as a way of positioning themselves in the research field.
This research project sets out to discover if an experience of Antarctica, specifically mine, could be interpreted through the creation of souvenirs and jewellery. Although Antarctica is considered to be a very remote place it has a long and significant history of science and exploration and most recently has become the destination for tourism [a] . However, unlike most tourist destinations Antarctica has not been memorialised through jewellery and souvenirs in the way of historic tourist locations in the world [b]. Throughout Antarctica’s history explorers have painted images and more recently documented it through photography [c] . Whalers and fishermen have made their own representations of this isolated and uninhabited continent, however, none of these matches the proliferation of souvenirs that have been produced to provide memories and reminders of Europe for example during the times of the Grand Tour or the commonly available souvenirs of popular resorts, sites and locations today [d] .
Excerpt from Kirsten Haydon’s dissertation Antarctic landscapes in the souvenir and jewellery (used with permission)
Research and Writing Skills for Academic and Graduate Researchers Copyright © 2022 by RMIT University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
Table of Contents
If you are a young researcher, or even still finishing your studies, you’ll probably notice that your academic environment revolves around certain research topics, probably linked to your department or to the interest of your mentor and direct colleagues. For example, if your department is currently doing research in nanotechnology applied to medicine, it is only natural that you feel compelled to follow this line of research. Hopefully, it’s something you feel familiar with and interested in – although you might take your own twists and turns along your career.
Many scientists end up continuing their academic legacy during their professional careers, writing about their own practical experiences in the field and adapting classic methodologies to a present context. However, each and every researcher dreams about being a pioneer in a subject one day, by discovering a topic that hasn’t been approached before by any other scientist. This is a research gap.
Research gaps are particularly useful for the advance of science, in general. Finding a research gap and having the means to develop a complete and sustained study on it can be very rewarding for the scientist (or team of scientists), not to mention how its new findings can positively impact our whole society.
How many times have you felt that you have finally formulated THAT new and exciting question, only to find out later that it had been addressed before? Probably more times than you can count.
There are some steps you can take to help identify research gaps, since it is impossible to go through all the information and research available nowadays:
Keeping track of all the new literature being published every day is an impossible mission. Remember that there is technology to make your daily tasks easier, and reviewing literature can be one of them. Some online databases offer up-to-date publication lists with quite effective search features:
Of course, these tools may be more or less effective depending on knowledge fields. There might be even better ones for your specific topic of research; you can learn about them from more experienced colleagues or mentors.
Find out how FINER research framework can help you formulate your research question.
The expression “literature gap” is used with the same intention as “research gap.” When there is a gap in the research itself, there will also naturally be a gap in the literature. Nevertheless, it is important to stress out the importance of language or text formulations that can help identify a research/literature gap or, on the other hand, making clear that a research gap is being addressed.
When looking for research gaps across publications you may have noticed sentences like:
…has/have not been… (studied/reported/elucidated) …is required/needed… …the key question is/remains… …it is important to address…
These expressions often indicate gaps; issues or topics related to the main question that still hasn’t been subject to a scientific study. Therefore, it is important to take notice of them: who knows if one of these sentences is hiding your way to fame.
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If you have an upcoming dissertation, thesis, or research project, it is crucial to find an appropriate research gap as one of your initial and significant steps. This article will provide you with a simple technique for discovering high-quality and unique research gaps in a time-effective manner. Because finding a relevant research gap first is one of the best thesis writing tips to give in the beginning!
To begin, let’s establish what we mean by the term “research gap” so that we are all on the same page. The expression is often used loosely by both students and academics. Essentially, a research gap is a space where there is a deficiency of reliable and widely accepted research on a particular topic, issue, or occurrence. This implies that there is an absence of established knowledge and, as a result, further investigation is required.
The fundamental idea is that a research gap indicates an absence of well-established understanding concerning a particular subject. With this absence, there is a chance for researchers like yourself to step in and bridge the gap.
Is it the same as a research topic ? Not entirely, they are related though. A research gap pertains to an area where there is still no conclusive research whereas a research topic identifies the focus of a particular study. Though separate in concept, they are connected because research gaps are the starting point of research topics. Hence, by determining a clear research gap, one can establish the foundation from which a research topic for a particular study can be formed. While a single study may not completely resolve the entire research gap, it can contribute to it.
In order to discover potential research topics , it is essential to understand what a research gap is and how to find it. It is important to note that there are various ways to find a research gap, and this is just one of them. Although it may not be the best method, it is a relatively quick way to identify opportunities.
The first step is to choose a general area of interest. It is unnecessary to be very specific at this stage, but it is vital to ensure that the university approves of the chosen area. Many students make the mistake of exploring a topic without checking if it meets the required criteria.
In order to begin your research on a particular area of interest, the second step is to conduct a preliminary search of academic literature using Google Scholar. This tool enables you to search for academic materials on a wide range of topics by utilizing Google’s advanced search capabilities. Although it’s not the definitive search tool, it is a good starting point. When you enter Google Scholar, you should use relevant keywords that are specific to your area of interest. Try experimenting with different keywords to see which ones yield the most relevant results. Once you conduct initial searches, you will need to refine the results by choosing the most recent papers from the filtering options in the top left of the screen.
It is generally a good idea to limit your search results to the last few years, particularly if you are researching a rapidly-evolving topic. However, there may be instances where your search needs to be more inclusive.
After conducting multiple searches with varying keywords and phrases, you should skim through the results to determine which articles are most relevant and interesting to you. At this point, you may solely observe the titles and abstracts without delving into the actual content. From there, choose around 5 to 10 articles that pique your interest and access them.
In Step 4, you should begin reading your selected articles. You do not need to read them in their entirety, but instead focus on certain sections such as the abstract, introduction, and discussion or conclusion. These sections will provide you with a general understanding of the study’s context, research aims, and findings. Skimming through these sections for each article on your list should not take long and will save you from going into excessive detail.
Step 5 involves searching for specific phrases known as FRIN (further research is needed) in the articles on your shortlist. The FRIN section is where researchers explain what other researchers can do to build on their study or research area. It provides fresh opportunities for novel research and is usually found towards the end of the article. While it doesn’t provide a complete list of research gaps, it highlights avenues worth exploring and helps shortcut the gap-hunting process. Examples of FRIN phrases include future research, research opportunities, and research directions.
To find interesting research gaps, use the FRIN-seeking process on your shortlisted articles. Be prepared to read through a large number of articles and allow your area of interest to shift naturally. Once you have shortlisted potential research gaps, double-check Google Scholar to ensure that no fresh studies have recently addressed the gap. However, even if someone has already addressed the gap, there could still be a unique angle that you could explore. It is important to determine your university’s specific requirements for originality, which may differ based on the level of study. You can get a clear understanding of your university’s expectations by reviewing past dissertations and theses for your specific programme, which are available in the university library or by asking the faculty.
Once you have identified several possible research gaps and topics that interest you, it is necessary to carefully assess them to determine the best option. This evaluation process requires consideration of various factors such as the originality and potential value of the topic, the accessibility of necessary data, potential costs associated with data collection and analysis, time constraints, and the availability of a supportive supervisor.
The post covers a lot of information. Here are the main points:
Boosting your early scientific impact metrics.
Anthony Newman
Researching is an ongoing task, as it requires you to think of something nobody else has thought of before. This is where the research gap comes into play.
We will explain what a research gap is, provide you with steps on how to identify these research gaps, as well as provide you several tools that can help you identify them.
Senior Publisher, Life Sciences, Elsevier
Anthony Newman is a Senior Publisher with Elsevier and is based in Amsterdam. Each year he presents numerous Author Workshops and other similar trainings worldwide. He is currently responsible for fifteen biochemistry and laboratory medicine journals, he joined Elsevier over thirty years ago and has been Publisher for more than twenty of those years. Before then he was the marketing communications manager for the biochemistry journals of Elsevier. By training he is a polymer chemist and was active in the surface coating industry before leaving London and moving to Amsterdam in 1987 to join Elsevier.
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Educational resources and simple solutions for your research journey
If you have ever wondered how to identify research gaps, well, you’re not alone. All researchers looking to make a solid contribution to their field need to start by identifying a topic or issue that hasn’t been tackled before and coming up with possible solutions for it. This is where learning what is a research gap, knowing about some research gap examples, and knowing how to identify research gaps becomes important. Through this article, we will try answering these questions for you.
Table of Contents
Research gaps are areas requiring more studies or research. 1 They can be:
Identifying and prioritizing research gaps is an essential part of any research for the following reasons. 2 This can help you:
Coming up with original, innovative ideas in your chosen area of research can be tricky, especially if you are an early career researcher, for the following reasons: 3,4
More than 7 million papers get published annually. 5 Considering the volume of existing research, identifying research gaps from existing literature may seem a daunting task. While there are no hard rules for identifying research gaps, the literature has provided some guidelines for identifying problems worth investigating.
1. Observe : Personal interests and experiences can provide insight into possible research problems. For example, a researcher interested in teaching may start with a simple observation of students’ classroom behavior and observe the link with learning theories. Developing the habit of reading literature using smart apps like R Discovery can keep you updated with the latest trends and developments in the field.
2. Search : Exploring existing literature will help to identify if the observed problem is documented. One approach is identifying the independent variables used to solve the researcher’s topic of interest (i.e., the dependent variable). Databases such as Emerald, ProQuest, EbscoHost, PubMed, and ScienceDirect can help potential researchers explore existing research gaps. The following steps can help with optimizing the search process once you decide on the key research question based on your interests.
-Identify key terms.
-Identify relevant articles based on the keywords.
-Review selected articles to identify gaps in the literature.
3. Map : This involves mapping key issues or aspects across the literature. The map should be updated whenever a researcher comes across an article of interest.
4. Synthesize : Synthesis involves integrating the insights of multiple but related studies. A research gap is identified by combining results and findings across several interrelated studies. 6
5. Consult: Seeking expert feedback will help you understand if the research gaps identified are adequate and feasible or if improvements are required.
6. Prioritize : It is possible that you have identified multiple questions requiring answers. Prioritize the question that can be addressed first, considering their relevance, resource availability, and your research strengths.
7. Enroll : Research Skills Development Programs, including workshops and discussion groups within or outside the research institution, can help develop research skills, such as framing the research problem. Networking and corroborating in such events with colleagues and experts might help you know more about current issues and problems in your research domain.
While there is no well-defined process to identify gaps in knowledge, curiosity, judgment, and creativity can help you in identifying these research gaps . Regardless of whether the research gaps identified are large or small, the study design must be sufficient to contribute toward advancing your field of research.
References
Question: How can research gaps be addressed?
Research gaps can be addressed by conducting further studies, experiments, or investigations that specifically target the areas where knowledge is lacking or incomplete. This involves conducting a thorough literature review to identify existing gaps, designing research methodologies to address these gaps, and collecting new data or analyzing existing data to fill the void. Collaboration among researchers, interdisciplinary approaches, and innovative research designs can also help bridge research gaps and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in a particular field.
Question: Can research gaps change over time?
Yes, research gaps can change over time. As new studies are conducted, technologies advance, and societal needs evolve, gaps in knowledge may be identified or existing gaps may become more pronounced. Research gaps are dynamic and subject to shifts as new discoveries are made, new questions arise, and priorities change. It is crucial for researchers to continuously assess and update their understanding of the field to identify emerging research gaps and adapt their research efforts accordingly.
Question: Are research gaps specific to a particular discipline or field?
Research gaps can exist within any discipline or field. Each discipline has its own unique body of knowledge and areas where understanding may be limited. Research gaps can arise from unanswered questions, unexplored phenomena, conflicting findings, practical challenges, or new frontiers of knowledge. They are not limited to a specific discipline or field, as gaps can exist in natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering, or any other area of study.
Question: How can research gaps contribute to the research proposal?
Research gaps play a significant role in the development of research proposals. They help researchers identify a clear rationale and justification for their study. By addressing identified gaps in knowledge, researchers can demonstrate the significance and relevance of their proposed research. Research proposals often include a literature review section that highlights existing gaps and positions the proposed study as a contribution to the field. By explicitly addressing research gaps, researchers can strengthen the credibility and importance of their research proposal, as well as its potential impact on advancing knowledge and addressing critical questions or challenges.
R Discovery is a literature search and research reading platform that accelerates your research discovery journey by keeping you updated on the latest, most relevant scholarly content. With 250M+ research articles sourced from trusted aggregators like CrossRef, Unpaywall, PubMed, PubMed Central, Open Alex and top publishing houses like Springer Nature, JAMA, IOP, Taylor & Francis, NEJM, BMJ, Karger, SAGE, Emerald Publishing and more, R Discovery puts a world of research at your fingertips.
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A research gap is an area within a field that lacks sufficient information or understanding, highlighting opportunities for further investigation. Identified through literature review, it guides researchers to explore new questions and develop innovative theories. Addressing these gaps advances knowledge and solves real-world problems. In areas like Marketing Gap Analysis , identifying research gaps leads to more effective strategies and improved market performance.
A research gap is an area within a field of study that lacks sufficient information or understanding, presenting an opportunity for further investigation. It is identified through a thorough review of existing literature and highlights areas where more research is needed. Recognizing these gaps is essential for advancing knowledge, guiding researchers to explore new questions, develop innovative theories, and improve methodologies.
Research gaps are areas where knowledge is lacking or where existing research could be expanded. Identifying and addressing these gaps is crucial for advancing knowledge in any field. Here are the different types of research gaps:
Definition : An evidence gap occurs when there is a lack of empirical data to support conclusions or theories. This gap signifies areas where more research is needed to provide solid evidence for or against a hypothesis.
Example : Limited studies on the long-term effects of a new medication.
Definition : A knowledge gap refers to a lack of understanding or awareness about a specific topic. This gap often highlights areas where research has not yet been conducted or where findings are inconsistent.
Example : Insufficient knowledge about the impact of social media on mental health among teenagers.
Definition : This gap arises when there is a disconnect between theoretical research and practical application. It points to areas where findings from research have not been implemented in real-world settings or where practical challenges are not addressed by existing research.
Example : Theoretical models for disaster management that are not tested in actual disaster scenarios.
Definition : A methodological gap is identified when current research methods are inadequate to address certain research questions. This gap indicates the need for new or improved research methods.
Example : The need for longitudinal studies to better understand the progression of chronic diseases.
Definition : A policy gap occurs when research does not inform policy or when there is a lack of research supporting existing policies. This gap often highlights the need for research that can influence or evaluate policy decisions.
Example : Lack of research on the effectiveness of policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
Definition : This gap is present when certain populations or demographic groups are underrepresented in research. It calls attention to the need for more inclusive research that considers diverse populations.
Example : Underrepresentation of elderly populations in clinical trials for new medications.
Definition : A theory gap is found when there is a lack of theoretical framework to explain certain phenomena. This gap suggests the need for developing or refining theories to better understand specific issues.
Example : Incomplete theoretical explanations for the rise of extremism in modern societies.
Definition : A contextual gap exists when research does not take into account the context in which a phenomenon occurs. This gap highlights the need for studies that consider environmental, cultural, or situational factors.
Example : Studies on education methods that do not consider cultural differences in learning styles.
Definition : This gap arises when certain perspectives or viewpoints are missing from the research. It emphasizes the need for more diverse viewpoints to provide a comprehensive understanding of a topic.
Example : Limited perspectives from minority groups in research on workplace diversity.
Definition : A data gap is identified when there is a lack of available data or when existing data is insufficient to support research conclusions. This gap indicates the need for more extensive data collection and analysis.
Example : Insufficient data on climate change impacts in specific geographic regions.
Identifying and articulating a research gap is a crucial step in academic research. It highlights the need for your study and sets the stage for your research question and objectives. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write a research gap:
Conduct a thorough literature review to understand the current state of research in your field. Look for recent studies, key theories, and significant findings. Take note of any inconsistencies, unanswered questions, or areas that have not been explored.
After reviewing the literature, pinpoint the specific areas where research is lacking. This could be due to insufficient evidence, outdated studies, contradictory findings, or unaddressed issues.
Explain why this gap is important. Discuss the implications of not addressing this gap and how filling it could advance knowledge in your field or solve a practical problem.
Based on the identified gap, formulate a clear and focused research question. This question should aim to address the gap and guide your study.
Place your research gap within the broader context of your field. Explain how your study will contribute to the existing body of knowledge and why it is timely and relevant.
When writing about the research gap, be clear and concise. Avoid jargon and ensure that your explanation is understandable to readers outside your immediate field.
Identifying a research gap is essential for developing a relevant and impactful research question. Here are the steps to effectively identify a research gap:
Start by thoroughly reviewing existing literature in your area of interest. Use academic databases, journals, books, and conference papers to gather information. Focus on:
While reviewing the literature, critically evaluate the studies. Look for:
Identify trends and patterns in the existing research. Consider:
Identify topics or subtopics that have not been extensively researched. Pay attention to:
Review articles and meta-analyses can provide a summary of the current state of research and highlight areas where further research is needed. They often suggest future research directions and gaps.
Research agendas and funding calls from academic institutions, government agencies, and private organizations can highlight priority areas and identify gaps that need addressing.
Engage in discussions with experts, mentors, and peers in your field. They can provide insights into current research trends and gaps that you might have overlooked.
Conference proceedings often contain the latest research and can indicate emerging trends and gaps. Attend conferences and review the abstracts and presentations.
Consider the practical implications of existing research. Identify areas where research findings have not been applied or where practical challenges remain unaddressed.
Based on the identified gaps, develop specific research questions. These questions should address the gaps and guide your research towards filling them.
1. advancing knowledge.
Filling a research gap helps in advancing the overall knowledge within a field. It allows researchers to build upon existing studies and contribute new insights, theories, or methods.
Addressing a research gap can lead to the development of innovative solutions to existing problems. Researchers can explore new approaches, technologies, or applications that have not been previously considered.
Identifying a significant research gap can attract funding and support from academic institutions, government bodies, and private organizations. Funders are often interested in supporting projects that promise new discoveries and advancements.
Research that addresses a gap is often seen as valuable and original, increasing the chances of publication in reputable academic journals. This can enhance the researcher’s profile and credibility within the academic community.
For educators and students, identifying research gaps can guide the development of curricula and educational programs. It ensures that teaching materials are up-to-date and relevant to current academic and industry trends.
Why is identifying a research gap important.
Identifying a research gap helps focus efforts on unexplored areas, advancing knowledge and contributing to the field.
Review current literature, analyze findings, and note areas lacking comprehensive studies or conflicting results.
Types include evidence gaps, knowledge gaps, practical gaps, theoretical gaps, and methodological gaps.
An evidence gap exists when there is a lack of empirical data supporting a particular hypothesis or theory.
A theoretical gap involves missing or underdeveloped concepts, while a practical gap involves real-world issues needing solutions.
A methodological gap arises when certain methods have not been applied to study a specific problem.
Conflicting results suggest inconsistencies in findings, pointing to areas needing further investigation.
A literature review helps identify gaps by summarizing existing studies and highlighting areas needing further research.
Yes, new technologies can reveal gaps by enabling studies that were previously impossible or overlooked.
Identifying significant gaps can attract funding by demonstrating the need for research in unexplored areas.
Text prompt
10 Examples of Public speaking
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Your Master's thesis should make a significant, novel contribution to the field. Your thesis hypothesis should address a research gap which you identify in the literature, a research question or problem that has not been answered in your research area of interest. This shows that you have developed expertise in the body of knowledge and theoretical issues in your chosen research area.
Step 1: Focus Your Research Area
Before you start trying to identify gaps in the literature, you need to figure out what your area of interest is, and then focus and narrow that research area. If you don't narrow down your initial research area of interest, you'll end up wanting to research everything. You'll overwhelm yourself with all the research gaps you find because there are still a lot of unanswered research questions out there.
Step 2: Read, Read, and then Read Some More
Read (a lot of) research articles : this is going to be time-demanding, but you really do need to read through a lot of research articles in your research area to become an expert in it. That being said, what you use from the articles that you read should relate directly back to your focused research questions and hypothesis. Don't waste your time getting sidetracked by issues that don't relate to your research questions and hypothesis.
Follow the research trails of seminal articles and authors using Web of Science and Scopus:
Read meta-analyses, literature reviews, and systematic reviews : these papers delve deep into the literature, examining the trends and changes over a long period of time in your research area and summaries of previous research findings.
Step 3: Map out the Literature :
Keep track of what the authors told you and the questions that occur to you whenever you read anything - an article, a book, a book chapter, a dissertation, etc. This will also help you write your thesis introduction later on and help you avoid unconscious plagiarism .Some more tips:
If you find don't find any answers to one of your questions, you've probably found a research gap from which you can develop a thesis hypothesis and experimental project. Get feedback from your advisors before you get too carried away, though!
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Last Updated: February 16, 2024 Fact Checked
This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 34,620 times.
Do you want to contribute original research and make an impact in your field? If so, it's important to look for research gaps, or areas of study that are either under-researched or currently unexplored. In this article, we'll explain in detail the best way to identify a research gap—by performing a comprehensive literature review—so you can dive deep into your research topic and analyze articles critically and effectively. For more tips and tricks on identifying potential research gaps and how to proceed when you find one, read on.
Tip: Look for both quantitative and qualitative research, if applicable to your field. This will give you a broader overview of the current research.
Tip: Conducting a literature review is often a very time-consuming task. However, it’s also an essential part of identifying a research gap. Additionally, you can use the notes you take during your literature review when it comes time to write your article, thesis, or dissertation.
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Table of Contents
Before conducting a study, a research proposal should be created that outlines researchers’ plans and methodology and is submitted to the concerned evaluating organization or person. Creating a research proposal is an important step to ensure that researchers are on track and are moving forward as intended. A research proposal can be defined as a detailed plan or blueprint for the proposed research that you intend to undertake. It provides readers with a snapshot of your project by describing what you will investigate, why it is needed, and how you will conduct the research.
Your research proposal should aim to explain to the readers why your research is relevant and original, that you understand the context and current scenario in the field, have the appropriate resources to conduct the research, and that the research is feasible given the usual constraints.
This article will describe in detail the purpose and typical structure of a research proposal , along with examples and templates to help you ace this step in your research journey.
A research proposal¹ ,² can be defined as a formal report that describes your proposed research, its objectives, methodology, implications, and other important details. Research proposals are the framework of your research and are used to obtain approvals or grants to conduct the study from various committees or organizations. Consequently, research proposals should convince readers of your study’s credibility, accuracy, achievability, practicality, and reproducibility.
With research proposals , researchers usually aim to persuade the readers, funding agencies, educational institutions, and supervisors to approve the proposal. To achieve this, the report should be well structured with the objectives written in clear, understandable language devoid of jargon. A well-organized research proposal conveys to the readers or evaluators that the writer has thought out the research plan meticulously and has the resources to ensure timely completion.
A research proposal is a sales pitch and therefore should be detailed enough to convince your readers, who could be supervisors, ethics committees, universities, etc., that what you’re proposing has merit and is feasible . Research proposals can help students discuss their dissertation with their faculty or fulfill course requirements and also help researchers obtain funding. A well-structured proposal instills confidence among readers about your ability to conduct and complete the study as proposed.
Research proposals can be written for several reasons:³
Research proposals should aim to answer the three basic questions—what, why, and how.
The What question should be answered by describing the specific subject being researched. It should typically include the objectives, the cohort details, and the location or setting.
The Why question should be answered by describing the existing scenario of the subject, listing unanswered questions, identifying gaps in the existing research, and describing how your study can address these gaps, along with the implications and significance.
The How question should be answered by describing the proposed research methodology, data analysis tools expected to be used, and other details to describe your proposed methodology.
Here is a research proposal sample template (with examples) from the University of Rochester Medical Center. 4 The sections in all research proposals are essentially the same although different terminology and other specific sections may be used depending on the subject.
If you want to know how to make a research proposal impactful, include the following components:¹
1. Introduction
This section provides a background of the study, including the research topic, what is already known about it and the gaps, and the significance of the proposed research.
2. Literature review
This section contains descriptions of all the previous relevant studies pertaining to the research topic. Every study cited should be described in a few sentences, starting with the general studies to the more specific ones. This section builds on the understanding gained by readers in the Introduction section and supports it by citing relevant prior literature, indicating to readers that you have thoroughly researched your subject.
3. Objectives
Once the background and gaps in the research topic have been established, authors must now state the aims of the research clearly. Hypotheses should be mentioned here. This section further helps readers understand what your study’s specific goals are.
4. Research design and methodology
Here, authors should clearly describe the methods they intend to use to achieve their proposed objectives. Important components of this section include the population and sample size, data collection and analysis methods and duration, statistical analysis software, measures to avoid bias (randomization, blinding), etc.
5. Ethical considerations
This refers to the protection of participants’ rights, such as the right to privacy, right to confidentiality, etc. Researchers need to obtain informed consent and institutional review approval by the required authorities and mention this clearly for transparency.
6. Budget/funding
Researchers should prepare their budget and include all expected expenditures. An additional allowance for contingencies such as delays should also be factored in.
7. Appendices
This section typically includes information that supports the research proposal and may include informed consent forms, questionnaires, participant information, measurement tools, etc.
8. Citations
Writing a research proposal begins much before the actual task of writing. Planning the research proposal structure and content is an important stage, which if done efficiently, can help you seamlessly transition into the writing stage. 3,5
Key Takeaways
Here’s a summary of the main points about research proposals discussed in the previous sections:
Q1. How is a research proposal evaluated?
A1. In general, most evaluators, including universities, broadly use the following criteria to evaluate research proposals . 6
Q2. What is the difference between the Introduction and Literature Review sections in a research proposal ?
A2. The Introduction or Background section in a research proposal sets the context of the study by describing the current scenario of the subject and identifying the gaps and need for the research. A Literature Review, on the other hand, provides references to all prior relevant literature to help corroborate the gaps identified and the research need.
Q3. How long should a research proposal be?
A3. Research proposal lengths vary with the evaluating authority like universities or committees and also the subject. Here’s a table that lists the typical research proposal lengths for a few universities.
Arts programs | 1,000-1,500 | |
University of Birmingham | Law School programs | 2,500 |
PhD | 2,500 | |
2,000 | ||
Research degrees | 2,000-3,500 |
Q4. What are the common mistakes to avoid in a research proposal ?
A4. Here are a few common mistakes that you must avoid while writing a research proposal . 7
Thus, a research proposal is an essential document that can help you promote your research and secure funds and grants for conducting your research. Consequently, it should be well written in clear language and include all essential details to convince the evaluators of your ability to conduct the research as proposed.
This article has described all the important components of a research proposal and has also provided tips to improve your writing style. We hope all these tips will help you write a well-structured research proposal to ensure receipt of grants or any other purpose.
References
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How to write a phd research proposal.
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Discover what a skills gap analysis is and how to conduct it in 5 simple steps. This guide shows you how to define, do, and complete a skills gap analysis to align your workforce with future goals.
Julia Kuzmina
Content Marketing Specialist, Valamis
August 21, 2024
6 minute read
While skills gaps have always existed, workforces are currently undergoing dramatic changes that have exposed the shortage of expertise required for the new digital economy.
Therefore, in order to build an effective workforce for the future, organizations need to understand their existing skills gaps.
A skills gap analysis is the assessment of the difference between existing and desired skill sets. This can be applied to individual employees or an organization’s workforce as a whole.
Skills gap analysis provides the information HR and management need to understand existing performance deficits and the potential lack of skills or knowledge behind them. This requires extensive employee performance evaluations to learn what is holding the organization back and where skills gaps are having the most significant impact.
Whether it is discovering smaller skills gaps that can be overcome through upskilling or reskilling programs or larger gaps that require new hires and the creation of new teams, without skills gap analysis, organizations struggle to build the workforce they need effectively.
Start building your foundation for strategic workforce development.
Skills gap analysis offers a range of benefits , including:
With new technologies finding widespread use across the business world, the need for skills gap analysis is only growing.
At a time when digitization and automation are redefining what companies need from their employees, skills gap analysis offers the roadmap to a better, more efficient way of working .
Even before the pandemic, the World Economic Forum estimated that half of all employees worldwide need reskilling to learn how to operate in the new technology-powered workplace . Skills gap analysis is the key to successful reskilling and upskilling programs and understanding where workforces need to improve.
Identifying any skills gaps present and understanding how they limit company performance is becoming essential thanks to new technologies transforming many business sectors.
With AI, automation, and other advances, many roles are becoming obsolete, and organizations need to source new skills to match growing technological needs. However, research by McKinsey in 2021 shows 87% of organizations expect to experience skills gaps in the coming years, with 43% saying they already have one.
A 2022 survey of CEOs by Deloitte found labor and skills shortages were the 2nd most cited external factor disrupting their business strategy. Also, with the rise of the digital economy, a Salesforce survey found that 76% of global workers don’t feel equipped to operate in new digitally-focused workplaces.
To respond to this gap, organizations must assess their existing workforce and develop active training programs and recruitment strategies to meet the moment.
Benefits of successfully overcoming skills gaps lead to a range of benefits , including:
To help you navigate this process, we’ve created a comprehensive guide that breaks down the skills gap analysis into five straightforward steps.
This guide is packed with practical examples, expert insights, and actionable tips designed to help you align your workforce with your company’s future goals.
Below, we’ve summarized these five key steps to give you a quick overview.
But for those who want to dive deeper and gain a complete understanding, our downloadable guide offers all the details you need to master skills gap analysis.
5 steps for effective skills gap analysis
Start by defining your company’s goals.
Knowing where you want to go is key to identifying the skills you need. Break these goals down to specific teams and roles.
For example, if you aim to double sales in five years, you might need to upskill your management team and develop tech-savvy employees to implement new tools.
With your goals in mind, pinpoint the skills that will help you achieve them.
Ask questions like: What skills will be crucial in the next few years? Which roles might be automated?
Focus on the most critical skills—those that directly impact your ability to reach your goals.
Organize your desired skills into a clear system or taxonomy.
Categorize them by department, technical vs. soft skills, or other relevant factors. Use existing data, industry insights, and expert opinions to build this framework, which will guide your gap analysis.
Evaluate your current workforce through surveys, tests, interviews, and performance data.
The goal is to accurately map out the skills your employees already have and identify where gaps exist. The more precise your assessment, the better your strategy for closing those gaps.
Input your data into a searchable database to identify skill gaps and trends.
Use this analysis to guide your learning and development (L&D) efforts.
Whether you choose to train existing staff or hire new talent, this step is crucial for aligning your workforce with your company’s future needs.
Download our full guide to get detailed examples, actionable insights, and expert tips on mastering skills gap analysis.
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Wondering why your competitors rank higher? Keyword gap analysis identifies the keywords they use but you don’t.
Learn how to find these gaps and improve your SEO strategy.
Key Takeaways
Keyword gap analysis is a strategic approach that involves comparing your website’s keywords with those of your competitors to identify valuable keywords you might be missing.
This method is essential for discovering high-ranking keywords that your competitors use but are absent from your content.
Pinpointing these gaps allows for informed decisions to enhance your content and improve your site’s rankings.
The primary goal of keyword gap analysis is to uncover keywords where competitors outperform you, giving you a blueprint for targeted content improvements.
It reveals missed opportunities and helps businesses create content that attracts more relevant traffic, ultimately allowing you to overtake your competitors in search engine results.
Identifying keyword gaps is crucial for improving your SEO presence. By uncovering unique keywords that drive traffic to your competitors but not to your site, you can significantly enhance your visibility and relevance.
Tracking your competitors’ rankings allows you to adjust your SEO strategies, ensuring that you stay competitive in the constantly shifting digital landscape.
Monitoring competitor content also helps you identify new keyword opportunities and adjust your strategies to maintain relevance.
For instance, you might discover lucrative keywords with low competition where your competitors rank highly, providing a clear path for you to target these terms and drive traffic to your site.
Semrush offers invaluable features for keyword gap analysis, comparing keyword rankings between your site and competitors.
Regular keyword gap analysis reveals areas for new or improved content, increasing your rankings and attracting more traffic to stay ahead of the competition.
Conducting a keyword gap analysis involves several key steps, each crucial for uncovering and capitalizing on missed keyword opportunities.
From identifying your competitors and choosing the right keyword gap tool to extracting keyword lists, analyzing metrics, and identifying keyword opportunities, each step builds on the previous one to provide a comprehensive understanding of your competitive landscape.
The first step in conducting a keyword gap analysis is to identify your competitors. Select at least two to three competitors with strong organic traffic for an effective analysis.
You can use tools like the Organic Research Competitors report or Advertising Research Competitors to select competitors for keyword comparison.
Specify competitors for analysis by entering their domain names, exact URLs, subdomains, or subfolders.
Comparing multiple competitors provides richer insights into keyword opportunities, as it allows you to see a broader range of keywords your site may be missing.
Tools like the Keyword Gap tool enable the analysis of up to three competitors simultaneously, providing a detailed competitor keyword analysis.
Selecting the right keyword gap tool is crucial for effective analysis. Semrush is a favorite due to its user-friendly interface, making it easier to filter results compared to other tools like Ahrefs.
While Ahrefs is excellent for finding keywords you’re not currently ranking for, Semrush’s ease of use often makes it the preferred choice for many.
Moz’s Keyword Explorer is another valuable tool for researching competitors’ keywords, while Similarweb’s Keyword Gap Tool allows you to enter your website and competitors’ websites for a detailed analysis of keyword strengths and opportunities, including how they perform in search engines.
The right tool enables a comprehensive keyword gap analysis, maximizing your SEO strategies.
Start your keyword gap analysis by entering your domain and your competitors’ domains into the chosen tool. In the first field of the keyword gap analysis tool, input the competitor’s domain.
After entering both domains, select your ‘keyword type’ to refine the search and generate a comparative keyword list.
With your keyword lists ready, analyze the metrics. The Keyword Gap report provides insights into top opportunities for each site and highlights total keyword overlap.
A keyword table shows how each site’s keyword profile intersects with competitors, allowing you to see where you stand.
Keyword Difficulty is a crucial metric indicating the competitive level of ranking for a keyword. Monthly search volume, derived from real user data, reflects the popularity and relevance of keywords.
CPC offers cost insights for keywords, aiding in prioritizing high-value terms for potential traffic. Filters can refine results based on various metrics such as position and difficulty.
Sort keywords by specific search intent using Intent filters to prioritize the most relevant terms. Prioritizing keyword opportunities can be achieved by focusing on keywords within the top 10 or 20 positions.
Traffic share can be analyzed by selecting location and device, providing deeper insights into keyword performance. Additionally, for each keyword, you can view the exact URL winning the most traffic, guiding your strategic decisions.
Focus your target keywords gap research on identifying weak and missing keywords that your competitors rank for.
Filtering for terms that your competitors are ranking for in the top 10 or 20 positions can highlight significant opportunities.
Utilize filters in a keyword gap tool to help analyze gaps and focus on comparing keywords on specific subjects.
Analyzing keyword gaps to identify keyword gaps within specific subfolders can provide deeper insights. Prioritize low-hanging fruit keywords that can be easily targeted for quick ranking improvements.
Visualizing keyword gaps and overlaps can simplify the competitive landscape, highlighting both shared and unique keywords among competitors.
Tools like Venn diagrams in keyword gap tools visually represent overlaps between your keywords and those of competitors, making it easier to identify areas of focus.
The degree of keyword overlap and how resources should be prioritized can be determined using these visual tools. The Keyword Gap report provides insights such as total overlaps and opportunities for specific keywords across competing domains.
Directly comparing URLs reveals specific keywords driving traffic to a competitor’s page that are absent from your own.
A page-level keyword gap analysis helps identify specific keywords that a competitor’s URL ranks for, which your page might be missing.
This detailed analysis is essential for optimizing individual pages, increasing traffic, and updating old content.
Page-level analysis involves comparing a competitor’s specific URL to your own to identify missing keywords. Using tools like Semrush, you can export keyword rankings and traffic contributions per URL for a detailed analysis.
This helps determine which keywords drive traffic to a competitor’s page, providing actionable insights for your content strategy.
Keyword gap analysis can bolster your website’s visibility and authority by uncovering high-potential search terms. This type of analysis reveals previously overlooked topics, enhancing the comprehensiveness of your content.
Focusing on weak and missing keywords can help prioritize content updates and new content creation in your SEO strategy.
The insights gained from page-level analysis can guide decisions on whether to update existing content or create new pages targeting missed keywords.
Incorporating long-tail keywords can attract more targeted traffic and drive higher conversion rates.
Keyword gap analysis isn’t just for organic search; it’s also incredibly useful for optimizing paid search campaigns.
By uncovering opportunities that may have been overlooked in your organic strategies, you can enhance your paid search efforts.
One key benefit is identifying the paid search terms that competitors are targeting. Applying insights from keyword gap analysis allows advertisers to better tailor their Google Ads campaigns, maximizing ROI and driving more effective results with profitable keywords.
Regular keyword gap audits keep strategies up-to-date with evolving search trends and algorithms. Quarterly audits help you stay updated with changes in competitor strategies and emerging keywords.
Monitoring competitors’ content with tools helps identify new keyword opportunities that may have been overlooked. Regularly updating your keyword list ensures it remains competitive and relevant to your audience.
Mastering keyword gap analysis is a powerful way to enhance your SEO strategy.
By identifying missed keyword opportunities, you can create targeted content that drives more traffic and improves your search engine rankings.
Remember to regularly conduct keyword gap analysis and update your strategies to stay ahead of the competition.
Implementing the insights and best practices discussed will help you achieve sustained SEO success.
What is keyword gap analysis.
Keyword gap analysis is the process of comparing your website's keywords with those of your competitors to pinpoint valuable keywords that you may not be targeting. This approach helps you enhance your SEO strategy and improve visibility in your niche.
Identifying keyword gaps is crucial as it uncovers missed opportunities to enhance your SEO and maintain a competitive edge by understanding and tracking your competitors' strategies.
Semrush, Ahrefs, Moz's Keyword Explorer, and Similarweb are among the best tools for keyword gap analysis, effectively helping you identify opportunities and improve your SEO strategy.
Conducting a keyword gap analysis every quarter is recommended to stay aligned with changing search trends and competitor tactics. This regular review will help optimize your keyword strategy effectively.
Absolutely, keyword gap analysis can enhance your paid search campaigns by identifying overlooked opportunities that your competitors may be leveraging in organic strategies. This insight allows for more targeted and effective ad spending.
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August 21, 2024
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
trusted source
written by researcher(s)
by Karin Verspoor, The Conversation
Scientific discovery is one of the most sophisticated human activities. First, scientists must understand the existing knowledge and identify a significant gap. Next, they must formulate a research question and design and conduct an experiment in pursuit of an answer. Then, they must analyze and interpret the results of the experiment, which may raise yet another research question.
Can a process this complex be automated? Last week, Sakana AI Labs announced the creation of an "AI scientist"—an artificial intelligence system they claim can make scientific discoveries in the area of machine learning in a fully automated way.
Using generative large language models (LLMs) like those behind ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, the system can brainstorm, select a promising idea, code new algorithms, plot results, and write a paper summarizing the experiment and its findings, complete with references. Sakana claims the AI tool can undertake the complete lifecycle of a scientific experiment at a cost of just US$15 per paper—less than the cost of a scientist's lunch.
These are some big claims. Do they stack up? And even if they do, would an army of AI scientists churning out research papers with inhuman speed really be good news for science ?
A lot of science is done in the open, and almost all scientific knowledge has been written down somewhere (or we wouldn't have a way to "know" it). Millions of scientific papers are freely available online in repositories such as arXiv and PubMed .
LLMs trained with this data capture the language of science and its patterns. It is therefore perhaps not at all surprising that a generative LLM can produce something that looks like a good scientific paper—it has ingested many examples that it can copy.
What is less clear is whether an AI system can produce an interesting scientific paper. Crucially, good science requires novelty.
Scientists don't want to be told about things that are already known. Rather, they want to learn new things, especially new things that are significantly different from what is already known. This requires judgment about the scope and value of a contribution.
The Sakana system tries to address interestingness in two ways. First, it "scores" new paper ideas for similarity to existing research (indexed in the Semantic Scholar repository). Anything too similar is discarded.
Second, Sakana's system introduces a "peer review" step—using another LLM to judge the quality and novelty of the generated paper. Here again, there are plenty of examples of peer review online on sites such as openreview.net that can guide how to critique a paper. LLMs have ingested these, too.
Feedback is mixed on Sakana AI's output. Some have described it as producing " endless scientific slop ."
Even the system's own review of its outputs judges the papers weak at best. This is likely to improve as the technology evolves, but the question of whether automated scientific papers are valuable remains.
The ability of LLMs to judge the quality of research is also an open question. My own work (soon to be published in Research Synthesis Methods ) shows LLMs are not great at judging the risk of bias in medical research studies, though this too may improve over time.
Sakana's system automates discoveries in computational research, which is much easier than in other types of science that require physical experiments. Sakana's experiments are done with code, which is also structured text that LLMs can be trained to generate.
AI researchers have been developing systems to support science for decades. Given the huge volumes of published research, even finding publications relevant to a specific scientific question can be challenging.
Specialized search tools make use of AI to help scientists find and synthesize existing work. These include the above-mentioned Semantic Scholar, but also newer systems such as Elicit , Research Rabbit , scite and Consensus .
Text mining tools such as PubTator dig deeper into papers to identify key points of focus, such as specific genetic mutations and diseases, and their established relationships. This is especially useful for curating and organizing scientific information.
Machine learning has also been used to support the synthesis and analysis of medical evidence, in tools such as Robot Reviewer . Summaries that compare and contrast claims in papers from Scholarcy help to perform literature reviews.
All these tools aim to help scientists do their jobs more effectively, not to replace them.
While Sakana AI states it doesn't see the role of human scientists diminishing, the company's vision of "a fully AI-driven scientific ecosystem" would have major implications for science.
One concern is that, if AI-generated papers flood the scientific literature, future AI systems may be trained on AI output and undergo model collapse . This means they may become increasingly ineffectual at innovating.
However, the implications for science go well beyond impacts on AI science systems themselves.
There are already bad actors in science, including "paper mills" churning out fake papers . This problem will only get worse when a scientific paper can be produced with US$15 and a vague initial prompt.
The need to check for errors in a mountain of automatically generated research could rapidly overwhelm the capacity of actual scientists. The peer review system is arguably already broken, and dumping more research of questionable quality into the system won't fix it.
Science is fundamentally based on trust. Scientists emphasize the integrity of the scientific process so we can be confident our understanding of the world (and now, the world's machines) is valid and improving.
A scientific ecosystem where AI systems are key players raises fundamental questions about the meaning and value of this process, and what level of trust we should have in AI scientists. Is this the kind of scientific ecosystem we want?
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Welcome to the Money blog, a hub for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Today's posts include Nationwide slashing mortgage rates and a Michelin restaurant reverting temporarily to 1994 prices. Listen to Ed Conway's analysis of UK borrowing and potential tax rises as you scroll.
Thursday 22 August 2024 15:58, UK
Asda has introduced a new range of wines from lesser-known regions - all costing £7 or less.
The Wine Atlas range combines "impressive quality and great value", the supermarket said.
The wines come from lesser-known grape varieties: Carricante in Sicily, Greece's Rhoditis, Feteasca Regala in Romania, Monastrell Rosado in Spain, Portugal's Jaen and France's Ile de Beaute Corsican Rose.
The supermarket said in a statement: "It's time to put a pause on pinot grigio and say see you soon to sauvignon blanc, because the new range is all about encouraging Brits to broaden their wine horizons by discovering new favourites from lesser-known regions."
The Money blog asked Tom Tryon, the founder of the wine club Vinetribe, for his view, and he said Asda's range was "a great way to showcase some lesser-known grape varieties that will really surprise you.
"We've all had enough sauvignon blanc to last a lifetime, so why not go for it and try something new?
"Best of all, wines with less famous grapes have to really prove themselves to get on the shelf, so I generally think you get far more for your money," he added.
Economics and data editor Ed Conway has warned there's going to be "a lot of bad news" in the autumn budget.
Tax rises will feature, but with the chancellor having ruled out raising income tax, national insurance and VAT, what could be set for a hike?
Inheritance tax
One of the taxes most likely to be hiked - the threshold could be lowered from £325,000 when someone dies, or people could pay more than 40% on some inheritances.
A leaked recording of Treasury minister Darren Jones, from before he was in government, suggested he favours such a change.
Council tax
There is speculation council tax is viewed as "out of date".
While Labour said before the election it would not change the banding of council tax, there may be other updates on the table.
Capital gains tax
This levy is imposed on the profit of a sale of assets.
The government could reduce the minimum limit, or raise the percentage of tax levied - with some calling for it to be set in line with income tax.
Business rates
This tax is what business pay instead of council tax on their properties.
The calculations for how much people pay could be updated to reflect a more current situation with property prices.
A tax paid on properties over £250,000, which increases for second homes.
Changing this could increase the volume of transactions and raise more money.
Political reporter Alix Culbertson goes into more detail on the topic of taxes in the piece here...
One of London's most lauded Michelin star restaurants is turning the clock back on its prices by 30 years next month.
The nose-to-tail cooking specialists at St John, in Smithfield, will charge diners what they would have paid when the eatery first opened its doors in 1994.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, St John will offer the same dishes it served up in the mid-90s for as little as £3.50 (Welsh rarebit, if you were wondering).
Roast bone marrow and parsley salad will set you back just £4.20, while pheasant and trotter pie comes in at a very reasonable £18 between 9 and 27 September.
The Michelin Guide describes the restaurant as creating a "joyful experience" with "very little ceremony".
"As one of the foremost proponents of nose-to-tail cooking, this is the place to try new things," it reads.
The restaurant puts seasonality "at its core", said the guide, which recommends ordering the warm madeleines for the journey home.
Nationwide today slashed mortgage rates across its range - with one of its deals now the cheapest on the UK-wide market.
A rate of 3.78% is now available to any new and existing customers looking to move home on a five-year fix.
This is how that compares...
The building society says other cuts apply across buyer types.
Justin Moy, managing director at EHF Mortgages, told industry news agency Newspage: "These are significant headline-grabbing rates from Nationwide. These are rates we haven't seen for at least two years.
"They will give borrowers plenty of confidence to get back into the property market."
Rates have been edging down in recent months as lenders price in forecast cuts in the base rate from the Bank of England.
Here's how average rates currently look - though it's worth saying that many buyers will be able to find deals lower than these averages...
McDonald's is to open more than 200 new restaurants across the UK and Ireland over the next four years.
It will be the fast-food chain's largest expansion programme for more than 20 years and will create 24,000 jobs.
New restaurant formats will be tested as part of the rollout, McDonald's said, including trials for smaller site formats and "drive to" restaurant sites.
"We have come a long way since we first opened our doors in Woolwich 50 years ago," said Alistair Macrow, chief executive officer of McDonald's UK&I.
"I'm delighted that in this milestone year we are able to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to growth, and announce the creation of new jobs across the country."
The growth plan is driven by a £1bn investment by the chain and its franchisees.
McDonald's revealed a target of building 10,000 more restaurants globally by 2027.
It currently has 1,435 restaurants in the UK, with around four-fifths owned and operated by franchisees.
But this year it was overtaken by Greggs in the breakfast market - with the bakery chain now turning its focus to evening meal customers.
By James Sillars , business reporter
It's a positive start on the FTSE 100.
A 4% rise in JD Sports stock helped the index climb 0.2% to 8,300 points at the open.
Sports fashion retailer JD had earlier reported a 2.4% rise in underlying sales during its second quarter.
That uptick was not enough, however, to bolster the company's annual profit forecast.
Shares fell sharply in January when JD issued a profit warning, blaming higher costs and poor demand.
They remain about 20% down in the year to date.
Elsewhere, oil costs have continued their decline of the past week.
A barrel of Brent crude currently costs $76.
Fears of weak global demand have been largely responsible for the recent easing.
On the face of it, yesterday's public finance numbers provide a clear rationale for the course of action the chancellor has (according to those I talk to in Whitehall) already decided upon: more taxes and more spending cuts in this October's budget.
It will, I'm told, be pretty grim.
However, it's worth saying there is one other way for the chancellor to create extra headroom against her fiscal rules, which is to change the particular measure she's judging that headroom against.
A lot of economists believe the net debt statistic she inherited from the Conservatives is the wrong one to use in her fiscal rules - and that she should use the country's total national debt, not excluding any debt owned by the Bank of England.
Long story short, if she uses this other measure (and I'm told this is something she is considering) then she suddenly has a lot more headroom.
Even so, don't expect her to change the tune at the budget in October. There will be more bad news to come.
Read my full analysis here ...
The new government is considering whether to scrap health and safety regulations that are seeing homebuilders shrink the size of windows, or put bars on them, to stop people falling out, the Money blog can reveal.
The rules, introduced in December 2021 by the Conservative government, are in the first instance designed to guard against "unwanted solar gains" - or, to put it another way, homes becoming too hot as the climate warms.
This, critics say, is resulting in builders installing smaller windows on new builds.
But they also require builders to account for safety - and so upstairs windows in new-build homes must now be at least 1.1 metres (3.6ft) from the floor.
Former minister Michael Gove launched a review of the rules - with the consultation concluding before the Tories lost power in July.
The new government has yet to make a decision.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government told the Money blog: "We have closed a call for evidence on building regulations and are considering the responses before we make our decision."
Earlier this year, Nicholas Boys Smith, chairman of the Create Street thinktank on urban design, told the Telegraph the "foolish" regulations have "incentivised the building of extremely small windows".
"People are not able to look out of their windows if they are sitting down," he said.
"This means, in a normal-sized suburban house, first-floor rooms are darker and less pleasant.
"It's making it nearly impossible to create houses that fit in with their 20th century, Edwardian, Georgian or Victorian predecessors. The majority of England's most beloved buildings would violate these regulations."
For Savings Guide this week, Savings Champion co-founder Anna Bowes looks at the best junior ISAs.
Most parents want to ensure their children have a strong financial footing when they are older, and there are many ways to support them.
What you choose depends on what access you want your child to have, as well as the risk you are prepared to take, but starting as soon as possible can make a huge difference. As can choosing the most tax efficient options, and a junior ISA (JISA) is often the most obvious option.
A JISA is a tax-free savings account for both the parent and the child, so it can be an ideal account to place funds that you gift to your child.
Most children's savings account could have tax implications
Children have their own personal allowance, so for the majority there will be no tax to pay on their savings interest. However, parents should be aware that there may be a tax liability to themselves on the interest earned on any money they gift to their children, until they reach the age of 18.
If the total gross interest earned on all cash gifted by each parent is more than £100 per year, then all of it (not just the excess) will be treated as that parent's interest for tax purposes and therefore they may need to pay tax at their marginal rate - if it takes them above their personal allowance and/or personal savings allowance.
If the gross interest earned is less than £100 for each parent's gift, it is considered so minimal that parents do not need to declare it.
This is a key reason why parents may prefer to place money they gift to their children into a JISA – as this tax rule does not apply.
What about gifts from other family members or friends?
Gifts from any other family members or friends will not be viewed in the same way. Instead, any interest earned will be treated as belonging to the child themselves and therefore can be earned tax free if they are non-taxpayers.
Something that parents should remember is that while in the JISA, the funds cannot be accessed until the child becomes 18, but at that stage they will have unfettered access to the funds.
But they can also transfer their JISA into an Adult ISA to continue to receive tax-free interest/investment returns.
If you, your friends and family were able to gift a total of £9,000 a year to a child from birth (the current JISA allowance), at a rate of 4.95% (the current best JISA rate), you could give them more than £264,000 when they reach 18. Now that's a gift worth having!
Top JISA rates have so far been unaffected by the recent base rate cut, but they are variable rate accounts, so it's important to keep an eye on the rates being earned going forward to make sure your child continues to earn a competitive rate.
A number of supermarkets and health and beauty retailers have been carrying out "concerning" loyalty scheme practices, Which? has said.
This include prices being increased for a product before they are sold on "offer" to members at their original price, according to the consumer group's investigation.
For example, Boots sold an Oral-B iO7 electric toothbrush at a non-member price of £400, while the members' price was £150.
However, the product had only been £400 for 13 days beforehand, prior to which it was £150 for everyone, Which? found.
Which? says it analysed the pricing history of almost 12,000 products at health and beauty retailers and supermarkets over the past year to uncover how genuine the loyalty savings have been.
It found that some products on a loyalty offer had been at its non-member price for less than half the year.
This applied to one in six Superdrug products and one in 10 at Boots.
At supermarkets, it was 10% with Tesco, 5% at Sainsbury's and 3% at Co-op.
Which? says the guidance on consumer law regarding pricing promotions needs to be updated.
The UK competition watchdog is also currently analysing displayed savings.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is looking into whether non-member, or regular, prices are artificially inflated by supermarkets to make their loyalty prices appear more attractive, but its initial findings last month indicated retailers are unlikely to be misleading shoppers.
What have the supermarkets and retailers said?
A Superdrug spokeswoman said: "Our products are regularly on a mixture of member-only prices, multibuy promos, and price promotions open to all, to ensure all our customers can make savings on their favourite products throughout the year.
"Every month we give our loyal Health & Beautycard members access to hundreds of health and beauty products at a lower price, and the investigation highlights the value this offers our members."
A Boots spokesman said: "We have always been committed to offering customers great value, helping them save money across their health and beauty needs.
"All promotions, including Price Advantage, are assessed against all applicable laws and guidelines set out by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute."
A Tesco spokesman said: "All our Clubcard Prices promotions follow strict rules, including considering how they compare against prices in the market, to ensure they represent genuine value and savings, and these rules have been endorsed by our Trading Standards Primary Authority."
A Sainsbury's spokesman said: "More people are choosing to shop at Sainsbury's and we know our customers are savvy shoppers, who understand that factors like inflation, products falling out of season, or promotions can affect our prices.
"That doesn't stop us following pricing guidance for the industry and offering great value on the products our customers buy most - whether that's with our Low Everyday Prices, Aldi Price Match or Nectar Prices."
A Co-op spokesman said: "We know our member prices provide true value for our members.
"No base prices have increased to accommodate Co-op member pricing and, in fact, many of the 'all-customer' prices were decreased to ensure Co-op was competitive on key lines for all shoppers, whether they are a member or not."
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Learn what a research gap is, why it matters, and how to identify four common types of research gaps in your field. Get practical examples and tips on how to write a research gap statement for your dissertation, thesis or research project.
Learn what a research gap is, how to identify and write about it in your literature review, thesis or research paper. Find out the types of research gaps and see examples of each type.
Learn how to identify and fill a gap in the scientific literature in your research project. See examples of gap statements and gap fills from journal articles and proposals.
Learn a step-by-step process to identify research gaps and topics for your dissertation, thesis or project. Use Google Scholar to scan literature, filter by time period and select articles that interest you.
Learn how to identify and write about research gaps in the Introduction section of your paper. Find out why research gaps are important and how to provide context for your study.
Learn what a research gap is, why it's important, and how to find one for your thesis or dissertation. Follow a step-by-step guide with tips and examples to identify a research gap that will advance your field.
Learn what a research gap is, the different types of research gaps (including examples), and how to find a research gap for your dissertation, thesis or rese...
Learn how to write a research gap analysis for your research paper using the 3 rhetorical moves by Swales. Watch the video and see several examples of gap analysis in different disciplines.
Learn what a research gap is, how to identify it, and how to use it to find new and exciting research questions. Explore different types of research gaps, examples, and tools to help your search.
Learn how to find an original research gap (and consequently a research topic) as quickly and efficiently as possible. In this step-by-step walkthrough, we'l...
Identifying 'the gap' in your research is fundamental to finding your position in an ongoing conversation by deciding how much you accept, question, or reject the claims that your sources make. When you start to write about that research, you need to figure out how to signal that position, as you quote, summarize, or paraphrase from your ...
Literature Gap. The expression "literature gap" is used with the same intention as "research gap.". When there is a gap in the research itself, there will also naturally be a gap in the literature. Nevertheless, it is important to stress out the importance of language or text formulations that can help identify a research/literature gap ...
Essentially, a research gap is a space where there is a deficiency of reliable and widely accepted research on a particular topic, issue, or occurrence. This implies that there is an absence of established knowledge and, as a result, further investigation is required. The fundamental idea is that a research gap indicates an absence of well ...
Learn what a research gap is and how to find one for your research project. This video tutorial by Elsevier provides steps and tools to help you identify and fill the gap in the literature.
The following steps can help with optimizing the search process once you decide on the key research question based on your interests. -Identify key terms. -Identify relevant articles based on the keywords. -Review selected articles to identify gaps in the literature. 3.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to write a research gap: 1. Literature Review. Conduct a thorough literature review to understand the current state of research in your field. Look for recent studies, key theories, and significant findings. Take note of any inconsistencies, unanswered questions, or areas that have not been explored.
Your Master's thesis should make a significant, novel contribution to the field. Your thesis hypothesis should address a research gap which you identify in the literature, a research question or problem that has not been answered in your research area of interest.This shows that you have developed expertise in the body of knowledge and theoretical issues in your chosen research area.
Learn what a research gap is and why it is important to find one for your study. Get tips on how to locate gaps in literature, seek help from advisors, use digital tools, and record your queries.
1. Start with a broad topic related to your field of interest. A broad topic allows you more opportunities to find a research gap. Pick a topic that interests you and that you already know something about. As you learn more about your topic, you can narrow it down further to help you find your focus.
If you want to learn how to write 3+ research papers every year, watch this FREE training: https://academicenglishnow.com/3papersayear-optin?utm_source=YouTu...
Aug 25, 2023. Introduction. A research gap refers to an unexplored or underexplored area within a particular field of study where there is a lack of existing research or a limited understanding of ...
Before conducting a study, a research proposal should be created that outlines researchers' plans and methodology and is submitted to the concerned evaluating organization or person. Creating a research proposal is an important step to ensure that researchers are on track and are moving forward as intended. A research proposal can be defined as a detailed plan or blueprint for the proposed ...
But for those who want to dive deeper and gain a complete understanding, our downloadable guide offers all the details you need to master skills gap analysis. 5 steps for effective skills gap analysis. Align with company goals. Start by defining your company's goals. Knowing where you want to go is key to identifying the skills you need.
Regular keyword gap analysis reveals areas for new or improved content, increasing your rankings and attracting more traffic to stay ahead of the competition. Steps to Conduct a Keyword Gap Analysis. Conducting a keyword gap analysis involves several key steps, each crucial for uncovering and capitalizing on missed keyword opportunities.
Scientific discovery is one of the most sophisticated human activities. First, scientists must understand the existing knowledge and identify a significant gap. Next, they must formulate a research question and design and conduct an experiment in pursuit of an answer. Then, they must analyze and interpret the results of the experiment, which may raise yet another research question.
The article presents a study on the performance of ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pretrained Performer)--an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot launched in 2022--in generating answers to clinical questions in psychiatry. In order to address the current knowledge gap about the reliability of ChatGPT in answering questions about clinical psychiatry, we examined the accuracy, completeness and nuance ...
Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Today's posts include a look at junior ISAs and regulations that encourage builders to fit smaller windows.