Als Forschungslücke bleibt bestehen, dass bislang

This phrase is a 'dass-Satz' starter. This means the verb goes to the very end of the sentence. You start with Als Forschungslücke bleibt bestehen, dass bislang... and then you describe the missing info. For example: ...dass bislang keine Daten zu diesem Thema vorliegen. (that so far no data on this topic exists). It feels heavy and academic. It’s like wearing a digital lab coat. You are setting the stage for your own brilliant ideas. Use it to bridge the gap between what we know and what you are about to explain.

You will mostly see this in universities. It belongs in the introduction of a Master’s thesis or a PhD dissertation. It’s also great for high-level business reports. If you want to impress a professor, this is your secret weapon. You can also use it ironically with friends. Imagine you are at a bar. You can't find a good burger in town. You tell your friend: Als Forschungslücke bleibt bestehen, dass bislang niemand den perfekten Burger in Berlin gefunden hat. It makes a trivial problem sound like a national crisis. Everyone loves a bit of academic drama over fries.

Do not use this at the supermarket. Don't tell the cashier that there is a 'research gap' regarding the price of milk. It’s too stiff for casual small talk. Avoid it in quick text messages unless you are being funny. It is a 'long-form' expression. If you use it in a heated emotional argument, you will sound like a robot. 'As a research gap remains that you never do the dishes' is a great way to end a relationship, but not in a good way. Keep it for the desk and the library.

Germans take 'Wissenschaft' (science/scholarship) very seriously. In Germany, having a 'Doktortitel' (PhD) is a huge deal. It’s even on people's doorbells! This phrase reflects that culture of deep, methodical investigation. It’s not enough to have an opinion. You must prove that your opinion fills a specific, documented gap in human knowledge. It’s about being 'gründlich' (thorough). The word Lücke (gap) is also used for things like Zahnlücke (gap in teeth). So, you are essentially saying the body of science has a missing tooth.

You might hear Es ist eine Forschungslücke festzustellen or Bisher wurde vernachlässigt, dass.... Another common one is Desiderat, which is a fancy Latin-based word for something missing. But Forschungslücke is the gold standard. It’s clear, descriptive, and very German. You can also swap bislang for bisher. They mean the same thing, but bislang sounds just a tiny bit more elegant in a paper.