AP CAPSTONE RESEARCH - FINDING A GAP
You must identify a gap in the BOK (body of knowledge) before constructing a research question.
The research question is based on the gap.
Doing lots of background research and reading about your topic is what enables you to discover a gap (something that remains to be done or learned). Remember, the whole point of the paper is to add to the scholarly conversation about your topic.
A gap can be a certain community.
A gap can be filled by localizing a national issue.
NARROW your initial area of interest as much as possible to avoid getting overwhelmed while reading. *Remember: EBSCO suggests additional/narrowing terms as you type.
The research question is based on the gap.
Doing lots of background research and reading about your topic is what enables you to discover a gap (something that remains to be done or learned). Remember, the whole point of the paper is to add to the scholarly conversation about your topic.
- Read the Discussion, Future Research, and Conclusion sections and scan for suggestions.
- Was the sample size too large/too small?
- Could a different or additional method have yielded different results?
A gap can be a certain community.
A gap can be filled by localizing a national issue.
NARROW your initial area of interest as much as possible to avoid getting overwhelmed while reading. *Remember: EBSCO suggests additional/narrowing terms as you type.
According to College Board
- You can't answer something in your paper that we already know.
- Ex: We already know that social media platforms such as Instagram can affect self-esteem in adolescents.
- Gap = "But what we don't know" is to what extent..."
- perhaps there is a certain demographic or perspective that hasn't been studied
- Gap = "But what we don't know" is to what extent..."
- Ex: We already know that social media platforms such as Instagram can affect self-esteem in adolescents.
- While reading background information, it is important to search in a variety of databases (since coverage of disciplines and sources varies in them).
1. Watch these 2 videos 2. Read through this libguide. You may also want to watch the embedded videos
*Remember that you can add words to searches in order to search for gaps.
*Remember that you can add words to searches in order to search for gaps.
3. Read this article:
7_research_gaps_article.pdf |
Of the 7 gaps mentioned in the article, the most common ones in AP Research are the Knowledge Gap and the Population Gap.
- Knowledge Void Gap: desired research findings do not exist
- Population Gap: research regarding the population that is not adequately represented or under-researched in the evidence base or prior research (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, age, etc.)
TIPS FOR FINDING GAPS (some also mentioned in the resources above)
While reading scholarly literature about your topic, ask yourself questions like:
While reading scholarly literature about your topic, ask yourself questions like:
- Does the author's argument require more clarification?
- Is there a different perspective I can consider?
- What other factors have influenced the results?
- focus on the Introduction section because authors may explain gaps they identified and attempted to fill (but perhaps didn't)
- focus on the Discussion and Future Research sections where authors may suggest "Next Steps" or mention gaps
- Do a "ctrl-f" for: future research, has/have not been, key question remains, what we don't know, recommendation
- look for contact information for the researcher. You could contact them for assistance.
- issues, problems, and unanswered questions in the field
- sources you should consult (journals, organizations)
- often list key concepts and areas of research
- usually have a reference section that lists important resources
- typically advertise conference announcements, conference programs, calls for papers (reflects what others find interesting and where they may be a gap).
- look for a "Research" section- often discusses current faculty & undergrad projects
- look at the library's "LibGuide" or "Research Guides" section
WORDING USED IN PAPERS TO INTRODUCE GAPS (FROM THEY SAY, I SAY)