Identifying Engineering Hot Papers and Research Gaps

 A research gap refers to an area of knowledge within a field where insufficient or no research has been conducted, or where the existing research is incomplete or inadequate.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.

Theoretical Gaps:

• Occur when there is a lack of sufficient theories or models to explain a phenomenon within engineering. This can happen when existing theories don't align with experimental data or can't predict outcomes in newer, more complex systems.

Empirical Gaps:

• Represent a lack of data or insufficient evidence to support or refute theories. These gaps arise when there is limited experimental research on a specific topic or when the existing data is inconclusive or outdated.

Methodological Gaps:

• Arise when the current research methods are inadequate for addressing a particular engineering question. These gaps suggest the need for developing new techniques, tools, or approaches to better capture or analyze data.

Technological Gaps:

• Occur when there are limitations in the current technology used in engineering research or practice. For example, a need for new materials, equipment, or computational techniques may arise to bridge these gaps.

Practical/Implementation Gaps:

• Found when there is a disconnect between research findings and their real-world application. Research may produce results that are not easily translated into practice due to constraints such as cost, scalability, or environmental impact.

Knowledge Gaps:

• Occur when certain areas of engineering have been underexplored. This may happen in emerging fields or cross-disciplinary areas where little prior research exists.

Interdisciplinary gap:

• Arise when there are missed opportunities for collaboration across disciplines. Engineering problems often require knowledge from other fields (like biology, chemistry, or physics), and gaps can occur if research fails to integrate insights from these areas.