Attached.

Types of Gaps in Research
Problems & Comparison of Data
Collection Methods
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Outline
• Introduction
• Research gaps
• Types of research gaps
• Data collection
• Classification of data
• Qualitative data collection
• Quantitative data collection

• Similarities between qualitative
and quantitative data collection
• Differences between qualitative
and quantitative data collection
methods
• Summary
• References

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Introduction
• A research problem refers to a particular question or challenge that
should be analyzed and investigated during the course of a study
• It serves as the guide of every study, and leads to the generation of
research questions that should be answered by the study
• In every study, research gaps may exist, and understanding this is key
to improving the relevance and application of the study
• This presentation highlights the different types of research gaps that
may exist, and compares different data collection methods that can
be applied when carrying out studies or research
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Research Gaps
• A research gap is an unsolved problem that exists in a specific field
• This may be due to the lack of sufficient research, or unavailability of
a solid conclusion despite the availability of research data
• When research is insufficient, it is difficult to get a definite objective
conclusion on the research question or problem
• On the other hand, research data may be available, but show
inconsistent findings (Al-Saraf, 2025)
• Identifying research gaps is a key part of every study, as it reveals to
the researcher, what gaps can be filled, and how the study can be
tailored to answer specific questions
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Types of Research Gaps
The types of research gap include the following (Nacke, 2024):
• Knowledge gap
• Theoretical gap
• Evidence gap
• Methodological gap
• Empirical gap
• Population gap
• Practical-Knowledge gap
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Knowledge Gaps
• This is also referred to as the knowledge void gap, and is often discovered
in previously conducted studies
• There are distinct situations under which this can happen
• First, information may not be found in the literature and theories of related
earlier studies
• On the other hand, there may be instances whereby the conclusions form
the research differ from the expected outcomes (Odusanya, 2022)
• For example, in a study on the effect of drug abuse on children, a
knowledge gap may exist if there are no specific studies on this, or if the
studies show both positive and negative effects of drug abuse on children
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Theoretical Gap
• Theoretical gaps are gap...