Research Problem Formulation & Scholarly Gap Analysis

About this course

What this course covers

Research without a clearly defined problem is research without direction. This course dismantles the most commonly skipped step in academic inquiry — formulating a research problem of genuine scholarly significance. Participants develop the analytical capabilities to identify understudied territories within their disciplines, articulate a defensible research problem, and situate their inquiries within the existing body of scholarly literature. The course integrates structured literature analysis, conceptual mapping, and formal problem-statement writing in preparation for peer-reviewed manuscript development. Learning outcomes • Conduct a structured disciplinary literature scan using Scopus, Web of Science, and domain-specific databases to identify authentic scholarly gaps • Distinguish research problems of limited scope from those with substantive disciplinary or societal significance • Construct a formal research problem statement aligned with the conventions of indexed academic publication • Develop a preliminary conceptual framework connecting the identified gap to theoretical foundations • Produce a publishable-quality research rationale suitable for Q1 and Q2 journal introductions Assessment & deliverables Research problem statement portfolio (2,500 words); annotated literature map (minimum 20 sources); peer critique exercise with written reflection.

What you’ll learn

Outcomes you can put to work

Curriculum

• 01

  Module 1 — The Architecture of a Research Problem

  0 lessons

  Typology of research problems and what distinguishes a scholarly gap from a general topic; locating gaps through structured literature interrogation across Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and ERIC, with citation-density mapping and gap taxonomy.

• 02

  Module 2 — Literature Analysis for Gap Identification

  0 lessons
• 03

  Module 3 — Problem Statement Construction & Positioning

  0 lessons