Steve Tippins Ph.D.Helping doctoral students get their dissertation accepted, succeed in their careers, & change the world | Academic Career Advisor | Dissertation Chair & Founder, Beyond PhD Coaching | 35 + years of experience.

The Easiest Way to Spot a Gap

23 Feb 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:53

In this brief YouTube monologue, Steve Tippins Ph.D. explains the most efficient method for identifying a research gap in the literature. He cautions against reading hundreds of articles and instead advocates for targeted reading—knowing exactly where to look and what to look for when reviewing papers. He emphasizes that a clear understanding of the desired gap dramatically reduces the time needed to find it. Toward the end, he promotes a free Dissertation Help Community that offers a five‑step dissertation assistance program, access to experienced committee members, Q&A sessions, and one‑on‑one guidance, positioning it as a supportive resource for anyone struggling to define or refine their research gap.

Chapters

What is the easiest way to determine a gap in the literature for research? Stop overthinking your gap in the literature. I've seen people take weeks and weeks and weeks exploring literature trying to find a gap to magically appear. If you know what you're looking for, it shouldn't take that long to find the gap. The fastest way to find your research gap it is not to just go out and read 400 articles. It's to know where to look when you're reading articles and know what to look for. If you're struggling with finding a gap or just having difficulties in fine tuning it, join our free Dissertation Help Community. You'll get our five step dissertation help acceptance program, access to veteran committee members, Q and A sessions, and one on one help. This is a long journey, but you don't have to do it alone. I'll see you there.