Research Gaps vs Problem Statement

a research gap and a problem statement are closely related but serve different functions in academic research... a research gap refers to an area of knowledge that has not been adequately explored, explained, or investigated in the existing literature... it identifies what is missing, inconsistent, under-researched, or unresolved in previous studies... research gaps may arise from limited populations, contexts, variables, methodologies, or contradictory findings reported by earlier researchers... for example, numerous studies may have examined student engagement in traditional universities, but very few may have focused on online learners in Malaysian private higher education institutions, thus creating a research gap...

a problem statement is a clear and concise description of the specific issue that the researcher intends to address... it transforms the identified research gap into a researchable problem by explaining why the issue is important, who is affected, and what consequences arise if the problem remains unresolved... while the research gap highlights what is missing in the literature, the problem statement justifies the need for the study and establishes its significance... 

the research gap answers the question what is missing from existing knowledge?, whereas the problem statement answers the question what specific problem needs to be solved and why?... therefore, the research gap provides the foundation for the problem statement, and together they help establish the rationale and direction of a research study...

• Research Gap: previous studies have extensively examined online learning satisfaction among undergraduate students, but limited research has investigated the role of artificial intelligence tools in influencing learning satisfaction among adult learners in Malaysian higher education institutions...
• Problem Statement: despite the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence tools in higher education, little is known about how these technologies influence the learning satisfaction of adult learners in Malaysian universities... this lack of understanding may limit institutions' ability to design effective AI-supported learning environments that meet the needs of adult students.

In short, research gap = what is missing, while problem statement = the issue that emerges because of what is missing...