Knowledge Gap Hypothesis - Narrative Review and Meta-Analytic Support

Narrative Review and Meta-Analytic Support

At least two narrative reviews and one meta-analysis of knowledge gap hypothesis research exist. Gaziano conducted two narrative reviews, one of 58 articles with relevant data in 1983 and the other of 39 additional studies in 1997. Gaziano writes, “the most consistent result is the presence of knowledge differentials, regardless of topic, methodological, or theoretical variations, study excellence, or other variables and conditions” (1997, p. 240). Evidence from several decades, Gaziano concludes, underscores the enduring character of knowledge gaps and indicates that they transcend topics and research settings.

Because narrative reviews examine significance tests rather than effect sizes, Hwang and Jeong (2009) conducted a meta-analysis of 46 knowledge gap studies. Consistent with Gaziano’s results, however, Hwang and Jeong found constant knowledge gaps across time.

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