SUMMARY OF COURSE HOW TO FIND YOUR RESEARCH GAP? 
by Dr Zuraidah Sulaiman/ zuraidahs@utm.my/ Date: 30/11/2015
1. Find chemistry @ interest in your topics.
2. Beginning will determined the end
3. Know what you want to do PhD?
4. Describe the research journey?
- expected the unexpected
- find chemistry with your SV.. You think, not SV will think for you.
- Only you know what you want to do
- you must good in theory part
5. More comment during VIVA is lacking gap/ contribution
6. The value of consultation is from an academic
7. CHANGE MIND SET!!!
(You are what you think you are).
Pride Hope Do
-personal – Hanging -Develop
-Responsibility – Onto -Others
-In – Positive
-Delivery – Expectations
-Excellence
# Progress is always better than aim perfections . Aim for idea, content
# Do not try to take on too ambitious project at first” – This is just PhD/Mphil.
# Everyday wake up have a list
# make self rewards in yourself if you able to do something
# PhD is training ground, train well
# Rest is you must but never quit
# Because of your research, you can spread knowledge to others people
# Develop people
# In research, try to develop new skills. What lacking from previous measure.
# If you manage to identify research gap, you will able to write all chapter
# PhD, rejection in all the ways.. You must able to handle rejected. Never give up!
# Real competition is after PhD
# With PhD you can succeed better. You will not be able to find short cut from getting long cut.
8. What is research gap?
a) Research Question/ Research Problem not been answered appropriately / at all in given field of study.
b) That research in my country is not tested yet
c) There are another variable should add on
d) Hypothesis not supported (-ve result) also is a PhD
e) filling gap will lead you to next2 chapter.
f) Normally, do your research problem @ gap around 2 pages.
g) Identify and fulfill
h) One objective must solve the gap
i) first important steps is identify gaps and RO
– No wonder about your title , its always changing.
9. WHY?
# what makes your research publishable!
a) show you are not just duplicating existing research
b) shows your deep understanding of the status of the body of knowledge in your chosen field.
– what is currennt things/ trend now!
c) shows you have conducted a research which fulfills that gap in the LR
– you do a research to support a gap from problem statement
– You have many gap, but try to solve only one gap.
#reesearch-filling a gap
# research gap is everywhere in your thesis!
# always brainstorm, and find journal based on key word in “google scholar”
* PS- statements on the gaps that you have identified.
* RO/RQ- to fill the gap
* LR- support application of underpinning theory and discussion of issues in order to fill the gap
* Methodology- how to answer RO & RQ to fill the gap with structured approach (scientific methods)
* Discussion/ Implication – relates back to all the gaps in introduction & PS sections.
– during the gap-
a) academic @ theoretical
b) managerial -kepada siapa? / polisi / company/ etc.
# if you have five gap, solve only one and the others put in the future study.
# Perkongsian markah for thesis:
A- no correction
B1- minor correction (3-6 months)
B2- major correction
C- everything is not clear (lacking of research gap)
# VIVA only 30 MINUTES. 
* 1 day of your time, determine your work.
* Be careful how you highlight your objectives, contributions, gap).
* check examiners work in google scholar and cited it.
* Before VIVA, try to do mock VIVA with your SV.
* Target you want at least B1..
* VIVA question:
a) Where this theory guide your research?
b) Guide in hypothesis?
# what you imagine, it will become reality…InsyaAllah…
10. Model Vs Theory
-Theory: Don’t tell the pattern, arrows, is a statement, fact : ex: bila mendung, hujan…
-Model: Tells you the arrow, relationship… ex: Mendung —> Hujan
-Theory is like an umbrella for Model.
# To help determine research contributions = originality
# duplicate = use back the theory but what is uniqueness
# research originality?
-what is new in the model? = add something at the concept (can also put additional on output@ outcome)
-must be a conceptual contribution
-not an empirical nor methodological contribution
# add one thiongs to model-PhD level
# fulfill gap by adding new variable
# Not our work to refuse theory.
# Theory discussed in LR
11. Theory will guide you in:
a) identify variable
b) methodology
c) discussion
12. TIPS 
a) Search important articles in your field of study
-measure value and finding
-read title, then abstract
b) Specific part in journal
– Introduction (reason why research done), conclusion, suggestions for future research
c) read systematic review
– content analysis reports
-citation analysis report
-meta analysis report
d) Key concepts
Further reading….
-research article to know the context.
-can also take from books for some theory. (conceptual definitions).
e) synthesis matrix (Literature review table)
Journal / Title / Authors / Year / Objective / Variable (IV, DV, Mod, med) / Theories / Model / Context / Country / Methodology (Sampling, respondents, instruments) / Link to Pdf.
