The Rhetoric of Research Gaps across Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed-Methods Traditions in Iranian Applied Linguistics Articles

Gap-spotting, identifying and filling perceived deficiencies in existing literature, has become the predominant strategy for formulating research questions across academic disciplines. While recent investigations have documented its prevalence in applied linguistics, this study sought a more nuanced understanding of how gap statements vary across qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods articles published in Iranian applied linguistics journals. From a corpus of empirical articles published between ۲۰۱۶ and ۲۰۲۵ in ۱۲ Scopus- or ISC-indexed journals, ۲۲۰ articles that included gap-based justifications were selected. We excluded articles that did not state explicit research questions, and we analyzed the remaining ۲۱۵ articles using qualitative content analysis. Using a six-category typology of research gaps, the analysis examined primary gap type, gap statement explicitness, gap claim basis, textual positioning of gap statements, and number of research questions. Findings revealed that knowledge gaps dominated across all three traditions with near-identical proportions (۸۰.۹–۸۱.۰%), indicating a shared disciplinary norm that transcends paradigmatic boundaries. Tradition-specific variations emerged in attribution use, rhetorical positioning, and research question counts. These patterns aligned with a cumulative, positivistic epistemology that privileges empirical accumulation over conceptual innovation. Findings highlighted the need for more diverse approaches to research question formulation to foster a pluralistic and socially responsive research culture across traditions.

کلیدواژه ها:

applied linguistics ، Epistemology ، Gap-Spotting ، Knowledge Production ، Methodological Traditions