How to discover and formulate a research gap in your master's thesis
Identifying a research gap is a crucial step in creating your master's thesis. It highlights where unresolved questions still exist in your research area and offers you the opportunity to make a valuable scientific contribution.
What is meant by a research gap in the master's thesis?
A research gap is an aspect or question within a scientific topic that has not yet been investigated or only insufficiently investigated. In a master's thesis you identify this gap in order to address it with your research and generate new knowledge.
Unlike in a bachelor's thesis, you are expected to go deeper when addressing a research gap in the master's thesis and deal with more complex issues. It can also involve the further development of existing theories or the use of new methods.
Why is the research gap relevant in your master's thesis?
The research gap gives your master's thesis a scientific basis and clarifies that your work makes a new, valuable contribution to research. In contrast to bachelor's theses, master's theses are expected to be embedded in larger research contexts and address more complex, previously little-addressed aspects.
- Originality:A clearly identified research gap shows that your work brings new perspectives or insights.
- Scientific depth:A master's thesis is about a deeper engagement with a scientific question that advances research.
- Specific focus:The research gap directs your work in a specific direction and ensures clear objectives.
How to find a suitable research gap for your master's thesis
The discovery of a research gap requires thorough research and analytical thinking. Here are the steps that will help you:
- 1. Check the state of research: Start with a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature. Find out which questions have already been addressed and which topics are still open.
- 2. Discover incomplete areas: Look for aspects that have not yet been sufficiently researched are. Are there contradictions or areas that need to be investigated in more depth should be?
- 3. Ensure scientific relevance: Check whether closing the research gap advances the field scientifically and whether it is significant for your field.
- 4. Assess scope and resources: Assess whether the research gap you have identified can be realistically addressed within the framework of a master's thesis, depending on the available resources and time.
Overview of the steps to identify a research gap
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Literature review | Conduct a thorough literature review to understand the current state of research in your topic area. |
| Find open questions | Identify unresolved or controversial areas in the existing research. |
| Relevance of the research gap | Make sure that closing this gap is scientifically meaningful and important for your field. |
| Check feasibility | Consider whether you can address the research gap within the time and thematic framework of your master's thesis. |
How to formulate your research gap
After you have identified the research gap, you need to describe it precisely in your introduction. Keep the following tips in mind:
- Concise and direct:The research gap should be formulated clearly and understandably, without unnecessary details.
- Emphasize scientific relevance: Highlight why closing this gap is important for the research.
- Logical transition:The research gap should seamlessly transition into your research question to clarify the context of your work.
Examples of how to formulate a research gap
Here are some examples of how you can formulate a research gap in your master's thesis:
- "Previous studies have predominantly focused on […] concentrated, however, a detailed analysis of […] is missing."
- "The effects of […] have so far only been superficially investigated. This work aims to […] to investigate."
- "There are few empirical studies on […], especially in connection with […]."
- "Existing research has not yet sufficiently dealt with the question of how […]."
- "Although there is extensive research on […], the Relationship with […] has been neglected so far."