The gap, in three sentences
About 1 week· Work out what you are doing
Theoretical, methodological or empirical — name which, or the gap is just a feeling.
Where this sits
Everything already published, sorted into who agrees with whom — and the specific thing none of them settled.
The question this stage answers: What is already known, and where exactly is the hole?
This whole block ends with: Ends at your proposal.
Others at the same stage
- The 20 works everyone in this area citesA bounded, finishable version of "read the literature", which otherwise never ends.
- Literature map — the camps and where they disagreeA gap is a disagreement or a silence. You cannot see either from a reading list.
- Literature review draftUsually becomes a thesis chapter. Writing it is how you find out what you actually think.