What is the exact locus of the problem? You serm to be mixing up three different issues:

- switching from applied psychology to clinical psychology

- research based on interventions

- writing an acceptable research proposal which you assume has to do with finding a gap in the literature.

Regarding the first: the issue is that you want to switch to Clinical Psychology which is different from Applied Psychology. Why do you want to switch departments and disciplines? Do you want to move to a clinical profession and do you think that a PhD is a short cut to getting there instead of starting an other masters study?

If in your country clinical psychology prepares people for registration and certification as a clinical professional, like therapist or working in clinical settings, and a PhD is presumed to do this also, then your MSc in another field will not qualify you for that study. Then it is not a question of finding a gap in the literature but a question of the formal entry requirements of that study. Compare it by trying to become a medical doctor by getting a PhD in Medicine when your background is biology. You may get such a PhD but only if it does not automatically qualify you to become a medic.

For each university department you should check their PhD guidelines to see if you are eligible for entry.

The second issue, research based on interventions. I assume interventions with human beings. If the research is to be based on clinical or therapeutic interventions with people, then as an applied psychologist you are not qualified to do such interventions and your research will never get an ethical clearsnce from a Department’s Ethical Review committee. A university that allows such research will get heavy sanctions, sometimes funding is stopped for a whole research group.

Check the Ethical Clearance guidelines for the university department in order to understand what is required from you. Research with human beings have the strictest requirements so as not to bring damage to vulnerable groups.

Watch out! Doing research as an independent researcher will still need you to get ethical clearance from one or other ethical committee. You cannot publish your results anywhere because journals will ask for s formal statement of ethical clearance, as well as book publishers.

Regarding the 3rd question, research proposal and gap in the literature. In your field it is much more common to find something problematic in the outside world, an issue that is relevant to society that needs looking into. Is there such a subject thst has drawn your interest? Would it be possible to place that subject within Applied psychology?

Could you find a subject that is a bridge between the two disciplines if you want to work in the field of clinical psychology without wanting to work as a therapist or clinical psychologist? For example, you could do research into the work satisfaction of clinical psychologists working in hospitals compared to those working independently. That you could do from a department of A P and get you into the world of C P so that for example you get to work in Human Resource Managent of a large mental health institute.

If your problem is that after finishing your study in A P you think you made the wrong choice and you should have chosen C P, then you have to find further training in that field, which means a MSc in C P or try to get into a therapy training based on the MSc that you have. A second masters study should take much less time than the first. In the 18 months that you have spent trying to get a phd proposal accepted, you might have obtained your second MSc degree in Clinical psychology.mSometimes what appears to be a shortcut turns out to be a lengthy project and that what seems to be a long way turns out to take much less time.

Hope you find this helpful.

Your question is intelligent and sad. It is not just a matter of science and also the politics of academia. Research the people's research on the committee. See what they like. Find something you like within those areas. Go to Google Scholar and read the abstracts and find what needs to be done.

Robert M. Gordon Thank you for replying, Sir. Full text of most research articles on google scholar are not available and I find it difficult to figure out research gaps just by going through the abstracts. I try to find the articles using other search engines and websites like researchgate but a lot of the times it's just isn't available. I see you have an independent practice. Is there a way people can become independent researchers?

I am not sure if this helps but sometimes those gaps are nearer than you think. Spend time looking around, getting to know the real problemas and difficulties that people you now have or are struggling. Maybe there there is the gap you need. Then...yes, try to find articles to read. If you cannot access, try to write the author. He might send it to you. Researchgate is also a good tool for that.

Good luck!

Dear Rubal

I publish a lot of research and I am well aware that Google Scholar does not have full articles. I suggested that you start with Google Scholar to get a bird's eye view of a subject area that you will not get if you start reading a few full articles. You can learn to first scan abstracts and then learn to focus you research hypothesis. Then go to the latest full articles that summarized the research.

Thank you, Sir.

Well I have a sighty different tact. I am a clinician.... and someone approach me with a consult....he liked my answer & thought correct... but policy wouldn't allow him to do it.... I check with all the directors and they said the same thing - clinically I was write but policy wouldn't allow it... I went all the way up the ranks & looked at national polilcy..... and no one has asked that question - it became my theses & have written books about the concept of integration and spoken all over the work on this topic - So look in front of you - there may be a practical question that need answers...

following article discusses on A framework for identifying research gap...

Farooq, R. (2017). A framework for identifying research gap in social sciences: Evidence from the past. IUP Journal of Management Research, 16(4), 66-75.

Similarly, researchers note the future research directions in their articles...

According to my perspective, you should look at your interest. We have two sort of students, one with idea and interest but doesn't know how to take start, the other one doesn't have any idea nor interest it leads him/her to review articles in order to find gaps. I think finding gaps is not a good idea. So, first, focus on your interest and then gaps. What if you have a lot of gaps but no interest. Thank you!

What is the exact locus of the problem? You serm to be mixing up three different issues:

- switching from applied psychology to clinical psychology

- research based on interventions

- writing an acceptable research proposal which you assume has to do with finding a gap in the literature.

Regarding the first: the issue is that you want to switch to Clinical Psychology which is different from Applied Psychology. Why do you want to switch departments and disciplines? Do you want to move to a clinical profession and do you think that a PhD is a short cut to getting there instead of starting an other masters study?

If in your country clinical psychology prepares people for registration and certification as a clinical professional, like therapist or working in clinical settings, and a PhD is presumed to do this also, then your MSc in another field will not qualify you for that study. Then it is not a question of finding a gap in the literature but a question of the formal entry requirements of that study. Compare it by trying to become a medical doctor by getting a PhD in Medicine when your background is biology. You may get such a PhD but only if it does not automatically qualify you to become a medic.

For each university department you should check their PhD guidelines to see if you are eligible for entry.

The second issue, research based on interventions. I assume interventions with human beings. If the research is to be based on clinical or therapeutic interventions with people, then as an applied psychologist you are not qualified to do such interventions and your research will never get an ethical clearsnce from a Department’s Ethical Review committee. A university that allows such research will get heavy sanctions, sometimes funding is stopped for a whole research group.

Check the Ethical Clearance guidelines for the university department in order to understand what is required from you. Research with human beings have the strictest requirements so as not to bring damage to vulnerable groups.

Watch out! Doing research as an independent researcher will still need you to get ethical clearance from one or other ethical committee. You cannot publish your results anywhere because journals will ask for s formal statement of ethical clearance, as well as book publishers.

Regarding the 3rd question, research proposal and gap in the literature. In your field it is much more common to find something problematic in the outside world, an issue that is relevant to society that needs looking into. Is there such a subject thst has drawn your interest? Would it be possible to place that subject within Applied psychology?

Could you find a subject that is a bridge between the two disciplines if you want to work in the field of clinical psychology without wanting to work as a therapist or clinical psychologist? For example, you could do research into the work satisfaction of clinical psychologists working in hospitals compared to those working independently. That you could do from a department of A P and get you into the world of C P so that for example you get to work in Human Resource Managent of a large mental health institute.

If your problem is that after finishing your study in A P you think you made the wrong choice and you should have chosen C P, then you have to find further training in that field, which means a MSc in C P or try to get into a therapy training based on the MSc that you have. A second masters study should take much less time than the first. In the 18 months that you have spent trying to get a phd proposal accepted, you might have obtained your second MSc degree in Clinical psychology.mSometimes what appears to be a shortcut turns out to be a lengthy project and that what seems to be a long way turns out to take much less time.

Hope you find this helpful.