Various Research Gaps

[Neeraj Kaushik]

Dear Friends

In the first year of the PhD, the research scholars are expected to come up with the following:
1. Select a topic and identify the relevant variables

2. Identify research gaps

3. Attend some workshops to gain better understanding of various tools/techniques

So I discuss 7 research gaps that they can find in extant literature and the formula is KEEP-TMP

1. Knowledge Gap (No study exists at all on this topic, total new and unfamiliar territory)

2. Evidence Gap (Some studies exist but they are insufficient to accept or reject a claim)

3. Empirical Gap (Theories exist or lab tested but no one checks in real world scenario)

4. Practical Knowledge Gap (Theory and real world data exist but they contradict too)

5. Theoretical Gap (Working on altogether new theory or by making a comprehensive theory)

6. Methodological Gap (You're planning to work with different methods than predecessors)

7. Population Gap (Theory, Methods etc all exist but you're conducting a study in a new geographical territory or sector)

Let's understand the first 4 KEEP in detail by taking the same example.

Example Topic: "Using Virtual Reality (VR) to Treat Anxiety"

1. Knowledge Gap

What’s missing? No research exists on this topic. No one ever thought of exploring this idea.

Scenario: Scientists have never studied whether VR can treat anxiety. We don’t even know if VR could help, harm, or have no effect.

Question: "Does VR therapy impact anxiety at all?"

Research Needed: Any initial studies (e.g., animal trials, theoretical models).

2. Evidence Gap

What’s missing? Not enough data to support a claim. The topic is still in its infancy stage.

Scenario: A few small studies suggest VR reduces anxiety, but they’re short-term, with only 20 participants each. No large-scale or long-term trials exist.

Question: "Is VR truly effective for anxiety, or are early results just a fluke?"

Research Needed: Larger, more rigorous clinical trials.

3. Empirical Gap

What’s missing? Theory exists, but real-world testing is lacking.

Scenario: Lab experiments show VR lowers stress hormones in controlled settings. But no studies test it in real clinics with actual anxiety patients.

Question: "Does VR work outside the lab, in messy real-life conditions?"

Research Needed: Real-world implementation studies.

4. Practical-Knowledge Conflict Gap

What’s missing? Theory and practice disagree.

Scenario: Research claims VR therapy is "highly effective" for anxiety. But therapists report patients feel more anxious after VR sessions (e.g., due to motion sickness or overstimulation).

Question: "Why does real-world experience contradict the research?"

Research Needed: Investigate mismatches (e.g., patient demographics, VR design flaws).

Some more examples of KEEP:

Topic: "Effects of social media on children under 5 years old."

Knowledge Gap: Most studies focus on teens/adults, but very little is known about toddlers.

Claim: "Drinking green tea daily prevents cancer."

Evidence Gap: Few studies on humans prove this. Most research is on animals or small groups.

Theory: "Mindfulness meditation reduces workplace stress."

Empirical Gap: Most studies are in controlled labs—not enough real workplace testing.

Theory: "Remote work increases productivity."

Conflict: Some companies find employees are less productive at home due to distractions.

Gap: Why does real-world experience differ from research findings?

Rest of the 3 gaps TMP are self explanatory.

Happy Learning

[Uzma Rashid]

Is there any video available on this topic??

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[Dr. Raja Sankaran]

You can refer to the following on my website for details on these research papers (though not videos)

https://sites.google.com/view/rajasankaran/resources/research-papers-books

Research Gaps

80. Foss, N. J., & Saebi, T. (2017). Fifteen years of research on business model innovation: How far have we come, and where should we go? Journal of Management, 43(1), 200-227. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316675927 

81. Miles, D. A. (2017). A Taxonomy of Research Gaps: Identifying and Defining the Seven Research Gaps

82. Shams, S. R., & Thrassou, A. (2019). Theorization and industry-based research project development: Bridging the industry–academia research gap. Industry and Higher Education, 33(2), 79-82. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422218797919 

 

Regards

Dr Raja Sankaran

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[Uzma Rashid]

Thankyou sir
I will go through these

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