A study note on the relatedness between research gap and research methodology design

A study note on the relatedness between research gap and research methodology design (information from perplexity.ai) [a useful reading to the agile literature review approach (the academic-oriented type) study.

My question 1: "For doing dissertation projects (notably, the academic-oriented types), it is important to identify a few research gaps to address. My question is: what are the main types of research gaps, with reference to the fields of (1) business management, (2) housing studies, and (3) accounting and finance?"

The reply: "Identifying research gaps is crucial for academic dissertation projects across various fields. Here are the main types of research gaps relevant to business management, housing studies, and accounting and finance:

Main Types of Research Gaps

1. Evidence Gap: This occurs when there is a lack of empirical evidence to support a particular claim or theory.

2. Knowledge Gap: This refers to a lack of understanding or information about a specific topic or area.

3. Practical-Knowledge Gap: This arises when there is a discrepancy between theoretical knowledge and practical application.

4. Methodological Gap: This involves limitations or disagreements in research methods that affect outcomes.

5. Empirical Gap: This refers to gaps in empirical research findings that need further investigation.

6. Theoretical Gap: This occurs when there is a lack of theoretical frameworks or models to explain phenomena.

7. Population Gap: This arises when research does not adequately represent the population it aims to study1.

Field-Specific Research Gaps

1. Business Management

• Practical-Knowledge Gap: Often seen in the application of management theories in real-world scenarios, where practices may differ from theoretical recommendations1.

• Empirical Gap: Studies may lack empirical evidence to support certain management strategies or theories1.

• Methodological Gap: Different methodologies can lead to conflicting results, necessitating new approaches1.

2. Housing Studies

• Theoretical Gap: Housing research often lacks a unified theoretical framework to integrate various empirical findings3.

• Empirical Gap: There is a need for more studies on how housing factors (e.g., cost, conditions) affect health over time2.

• Population Gap: Research may not adequately represent diverse demographic groups or housing conditions2.

3. Accounting and Finance

• Methodological Gap: The application of AI and big data in accounting and finance lacks robust empirical frameworks4.

• Empirical Gap: Limited studies systematically assess the impact of AI and big data on financial practices4.

• Knowledge Gap: Sustainable finance is evolving, but there is a need for more research on its practical applications and challenges4.

These gaps highlight areas where further research can contribute significantly to the respective fields."

My question 2: "How does a researcher's positionality affect the choice and formulation of research gaps to address, with reference to the fields of (1) business management, (2) housing studies, and (3) accounting and finance?"

The reply: "A researcher's positionality—their social identity, disciplinary background, and relationship to the research context—profoundly shapes how they identify and formulate research gaps across disciplines. Here's how this dynamic manifests in business management, housing studies, and accounting/finance:

1. Business Management

Positionality influences:

• Practical vs. theoretical focus: Clinician-researchers in management often identify gaps at the theory-practice interface due to their dual roles in academia and industry1. Conversely, pure academics might prioritize methodological gaps in existing management frameworks3.

• Power dynamics: Researchers from corporate backgrounds may unconsciously prioritize gaps aligned with organizational efficiency metrics, while activist scholars might highlight equity-related gaps in workplace diversity studies4.

• Methodological stance: Positivist-leaning researchers often identify empirical gaps requiring quantitative validation3, while interpretivists expose neglected qualitative dimensions of leadership or organizational culture.

2. Housing Studies

Positionality impacts:

• Insider/outsider status: Researchers studying their own communities (e.g., informal settlements) identify hyper-local gaps in service access4, while external researchers might focus on comparative policy gaps across regions.

• Intersectional identities: Female researchers in patriarchal housing contexts uncover gender-specific gaps in property rights research that male counterparts might overlook4.

• Ethical awareness: Positionality statements (as advocated in engineering education research2) help housing researchers acknowledge how their class privilege might blind them to gaps in low-income tenant experiences1.

3. Accounting & Finance

Positionality shapes:

• Technological bias: Researchers with AI/tech backgrounds disproportionately identify gaps in algorithmic auditing capabilities, while traditionalists focus on regulatory framework updates2.

• Cultural embeddedness: Global South scholars expose gaps in Western-centric financial models' applicability to emerging markets—a blind spot for researchers embedded in HIC institutions4.

• Value systems: Ethically oriented researchers highlight gaps in sustainable finance metrics, whereas profit-driven analysts might prioritize efficiency-related gaps in capital allocation models2.

Cross-Disciplinary Mechanisms

This interplay necessitates explicit positionality statements (as demonstrated in engineering education2) to contextualize gap selection. Researchers who systematically interrogate their positionality through tools like reflexivity diaries or social identity mapping1 tend to identify more nuanced, socially grounded gaps across all three fields."

My question 3: "How does the type of research gap to address influence the choice of research method and the reasoning approach to use, with reference to the fields of (1) business management, (2) housing studies and (3) accounting and finance?"

The reply: "The type of research gap addressed significantly influences the choice of research method and reasoning approach across various fields, including business management, housing studies, and accounting and finance. Here's how different types of gaps shape these choices:

Types of Research Gaps and Their Influence

1. Evidence/Empirical Gap:

   • Method: Quantitative methods (e.g., surveys, experiments) are often used to gather data and provide empirical evidence.

   • Reasoning: Deductive reasoning is common, where hypotheses are tested against collected data to validate or refute them.

2. Knowledge/Conceptual Gap:

   • Method: Qualitative methods (e.g., case studies, interviews) help explore concepts and understandings.

   • Reasoning: Inductive reasoning is prevalent, where patterns and themes emerge from data to form new theories or concepts.

3. Contextual Gap:

   • Method: Mixed-methods approaches are useful, combining quantitative data with qualitative insights to understand specific contexts.

   • Reasoning: Contextual understanding is key, using both deductive and inductive reasoning to apply existing theories to new settings.

4. Methodological Gap:

   • Method: Innovative methodologies or adaptations of existing methods are employed to address limitations in current research designs.

   • Reasoning: Critical thinking is essential to evaluate and justify the chosen methodology, often involving a mix of deductive and inductive reasoning.

5. Theoretical Gap:

   • Method: Interdisciplinary approaches and theoretical modeling are used to develop or integrate new theories.

   • Reasoning: Abductive reasoning is common, where researchers infer the best explanation for observed phenomena and develop new theoretical frameworks.

Field-Specific Applications

1. Business Management

• Empirical Gaps: Quantitative methods like regression analysis are used to test hypotheses on management practices.

• Contextual Gaps: Mixed-methods studies explore how management strategies apply differently across cultures or industries.

• Methodological Gaps: Qualitative approaches like ethnography might be used to provide richer insights into organizational culture.

2. Housing Studies

• Contextual Gaps: Qualitative research methods (e.g., case studies) are employed to understand housing needs in specific communities.

• Theoretical Gaps: Interdisciplinary approaches combining sociology and economics help develop new theories on housing policy impacts.

• Methodological Gaps: Longitudinal studies might be used to track changes in housing conditions over time.

3. Accounting and Finance

• Empirical Gaps: Quantitative methods (e.g., econometrics) are used to analyze financial data and test hypotheses on market trends.

• Methodological Gaps: Machine learning techniques are applied to address limitations in traditional financial modeling.

• Theoretical Gaps: Theoretical frameworks integrating AI and big data are developed to explain their impact on financial practices.

Summary

In summary, the type of research gap dictates the choice of research method and reasoning approach by requiring specific methodologies to address the nature of the gap effectively."

Reference: 

A collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.