Gap statements

The second move in the Introduction section (Identify a Gap) shifts the reader s attention from what has been done (or learned or understood) to what still needs to be done (or learned or understood). The essence of this move is captured in the sentence, Although much is known about X, little is known about Y. Gap statements come in various forms a few possibilities are listed in table 6.1. Of course, to correctly identify a gap, the authors must have thoroughly reviewed the literature hence, citations to the literature are common in this move, too. 

Table 6.1 Examples of gap statements. (X represents what has been done, learned, or understood Y represents what needs to be done, learned, or understood.)...

After the importance of a research area has been identihed and the relevant background information has been summarized, the Introduction section shifts from a focus on what has been done (or learned) to an emphasis on what remains to be done (or learned). This change in emphasis is signaled with a gap statement (table 6.1). The gap statement points out what is lacking in the held and, in so doing, infers the next step that needs to be taken. Consider the following examples ... 

Reread P8, a passage selected to demonstrate how authors emphasize the importance of their research area (in this case, the toxicity of Cr +). A gap statement is also present in the passage. Find the gap statement and state it. What next step or steps are suggested by the gap statement ... 

Select three different chemistry-specific journals. In each journal, find two articles that include gap statements in their Introduction sections. Write down the name of the journal, the gap statement (either restated or verbatim), and the location of the gap statement (near the beginning, middle, or end of the Introduction). Comment on whether the gap statement serves as a transition between describing previous work and the current work. 

The phrases in table 6.3 are often followed by the personal pronoun we (e.g., In the present study, we...). In such instances, we is used to signal the beginning of the authors presented work in the journal article. (Recall that we is also used in Results sections to signal human choice and in Discussion sections to signal interpretative remarks.) Table 6.4 lists some verbs that typically follow we in the fill-the-gap statement. Note that the verbs are in present tense when they refer to what is presented in the paper (e.g., we present ) they are in past tense when they refer to work done in the past (e.g., we measured ). (See table 6.5 for a summary of common functions of verb tense—voice combinations in Introductions.)... 

Table 6.4 Common verbs that follow we in the fill-the-gap statement of the Introduction section. ... 

P30 (Fill-the-gap statement in first paragraph) We report here a safer and... 

P31 (Fill-the-gap statement in second paragraph) We sought a method that avoided these drawbacks and was easy to use on both a laboratory and industrial scale. 

P32 (Fill-the-gap statement in fourth paragraph) Thus encouraged, we envision a special style of organic synthesis, one based on an entire family of reactions for which water is the best solvent. ... 

Proposals score high points if they present a creative approach or an innovative idea. A good idea that has already been explored, by you or by others, is seldom funded. A winning proposal must demonstrate that the proposed work will accomplish something new. Gap statements and gap-fillers, as in journal articles (see chapter 6), are used in research proposals to call attention to the new steps that your proposed work will take. By addressing problems that were left unsolved in the past, and by showing how your new approach will solve them, you underscore the creativity of your work. 

In the hrst submove, the need for the proposed work is established in one or two gap statements. Gap statements, as the name implies, point out gaps in the held, in the form of questions that need to be answered, techniques that need to be developed, areas that need further exploration, and so forth. In the second submove, the gap is hlled (at least in part) by the proposed work. In these two submoves, the focus of the proposal shifts from the general research area to the more specihc research project, setting the stage for the next section of the proposal, Experimental Approach (see chapter 13). 

We are now ready to examine gap and fill-the-gap statements in authentic proposals. Because these two statements work as a pair, we examine them together. Four excerpts are included for clarity, we have italicized the words that signal the beginning of the gap and fill-the-gap statements in each excerpt. 

Excerpt 12X uses lists to delineate both the gap (the experimental challenge) and fill-the-gap statements (facing the challenge) excerpts 12Y-12AAuse narrative form. In each case, the depiction of the work following the fill-the-gap statement is brief, laying the groundwork for a more detailed description of the proposed work. 

In these excerpts, the authors assist the reader by signaling gap and fill-the-gap statements. To signal a gap statement, the authors forewarn the reader of obstacles and difficulties or use such terms as unfortunately. To indicate that a fill-the-gap statement is coming, the authors use different forms of propose or other words indicating intent. 

The four excerpts also illustrate the use of personal pronouns (specifically, / and we) in the fill-the-gap statement. One author (Spain) uses I and we ( I propose and we will employ ). All others use only we ( We propose to address , We will synthesize , we intend to pursue ). Using both I and we in a single proposal is not uncommon, particularly in proposals that are written by one investigator (e.g., the CAREER proposal). A sole author (the PI) is proposing the work (hence, I), but a group of individuals (the PI, students, postdocs, and collaborators) will conduct the work (hence, we). 

We close our discussion of move 3 by analyzing common verb tense and voice combinations used in this move (table 12.6). Gaps are often stated in present tense (in active and passive voice), sometimes in combination with a present perfect-passive statement fill-the-gap statements are usually in present or future tense and active voice. Personal pronouns (I or we) are common in fill-the-gap statements. 

Read passages 1-3 below, in which words in the gap statements have been deleted ... 

The opening section of most written work (typically the Introduction) sets the stage for the rest of the work hence, more than any other section, the early part of one s writing foreshadows what is to come in subsequent sections. Foreshadowing can be viewed as making a promise to your readers. In a journal article, as an example, the promise typically appears in the hll-the-gap statement ( In this work, we demonstrate... ). As you hnish your written work, make sure that you have fulhlled any promises that you have made. If you have either overstated or understated your case, be sure to bring these statements in line with what your work ultimately achieves. 

How well have you foreshadowed the information presented later in the written work (e.g., results, future plans) with language, gap statements, and hll-the-gap statements ... 

Redundancy is also common in sections of a work that have overlapping purposes. Examples include the abstract of a journal article or the Project Summary of a research proposal each has the purpose of summarizing key points from the accompanying document. Although information can be repeated in the abstract or Project Summary, authors are required to state the information differently, resisting the temptation to merely copy sentences from other sections of their work. Another vulnerable place for redundancy is in the Discussion section of a journal article, which shares several overlapping purposes with the Introduction section. For example, beginning writers sometimes repeat the fill-the-gap statement of the Introduction (e.g., In this work, we measured ) in the sum-... 

When using active voice, check that you used personal pronouns (e.g., we) sparingly and in conventional ways (e.g., to signal a decision or the start of the fill-the-gap statement). 

Emphasize importance (through background infromation, gap statements) works (optional)... 

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