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By Dr. Ali Murfi, M.Sc.
Developing a research question involves examining both what existing literature leaves unresolved and the assumptions shaping its explanations.
Understanding gap-spotting
Alvesson and Sandberg (2011, p. 249) describe three patterns of gap-spotting: identifying competing explanations, examining overlooked areas, and searching for shortages of a particular theory or perspective. These describe ways researchers identify opportunities for further study, rather than a formal taxonomy of research gaps.
Understanding problematization
Problematization involves identifying and challenging assumptions underlying existing knowledge to develop alternative understandings and research questions. Alvesson and Sandberg (2011, pp. 254–255) distinguish five broad sets of assumptions:
- In-house assumptions: Ideas accepted and rarely questioned within a particular school of thought.
- Root metaphor assumptions: Underlying images or metaphors that shape how a phenomenon is understood.
- Paradigm assumptions: Ontological, epistemological, and methodological premises underpinning a research tradition.
- Ideology assumptions: Political, moral, and gender-related premises influencing how a subject is interpreted.
- Field assumptions: Foundational ideas shared across several schools of thought within a field, sometimes extending across paradigms and disciplines.
These are types of assumptions open to questioning, not five types of research gaps.
Turning the distinction into a research problem
Miles’s (2017) taxonomy helps identify missing or unresolved knowledge, while problematization helps examine the assumptions behind established explanations. Used thoughtfully, both can inform a meaningful research problem.
A new location or population therefore needs a clear scholarly rationale. Explain what studying it could clarify, reconsider, or challenge, and why that contribution matters.
Sources: Alvesson and Sandberg (2011), Generating Research Questions Through Problematization; Miles (2017), A Taxonomy of Research Gaps: Identifying and Defining the Seven Research Gaps.