what is research, its related topics are ellaborated

1. .
Making Source Cards-
What are they?
They are index cards (you can also use notebook pages, a word processing document or database
document) on which you put all of the information you will need about all the sources you use.
Why will I need them?
They will help you to:
 identify the sources of quotations and ideas for citing your sources later (giving credit to
your sources).
 find sources again if you need them.
 make your works cited (a list of the sources from which you used borrowed material in
your project).
How to do it:
Use index cards to make your source cards, or keep a few notebook pages reserved for this
information, or make a word processing or database file for them. If you use index cards, use
only one card per source.
Code each source its own number, starting with the number 1. You will later link your notes to
these code numbers.
Sample Source Cards:
There are many, many different types of sources: books, websites, videos, tv shows, people, to
name a few.
Below are examples of source cards for two different kinds of sources. If you do not know how
to create a source card for a source you are using, look at the tip sheet called Making a works
cited list for guidance on which information you should be included.

2. ***
The Note Card System-
When you are faced with starting a research paper, the most important part of researching and
beginning to write is ORGANIZING the information and your thoughts. If you are not
organized, it will take considerably more time to write the paper. To make it easy on yourself,
you can use an index card system as you gather information. With this method, you categorize
the information you find by topic. For each topic, you could have any number of cards from
several different sources. Later, as you write your paper, each card topic becomes a body
paragraph (supporting idea) in your paper.

3. RESEARCHING
As you find interesting facts about your topic during your research, you should write them down.
Each sentence or idea that you find should be paraphrased (summarized in your own words),
and written on a card. In order to keep your ideas in order, and to remember where you found the
ideas, there are four items that you should include on the index card, as you will see below.
Here is a sample card:
1. The card topic is the title for the kind of
information on the card. The card topic is a name that you make up yourself.
Think of it as the title, or main idea of the card. After writing down the
information, figure out how you could briefly categorize, or title it. For
example, if you are writing a paper on the life and works of the poet, Langston
Hughes, you may have cards with topics such as:
 Hughes' upbringing
 Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance
 Hughes' influences Hughes' poetry
 Hughes' political beliefs
 Hughes' influence on America
Although it may seem tedious to give each note card a topic name,

4. it serves two purposes:
 It keeps you focused in your research. You will be less
likely to write down unnecessary information (facts that
are not related to your topic) if you are careful to write
down the topic for every card.
 It is necessary to have these topics once you begin
organizing your research.
1. The source title is the name of the book,
magazine, website, etc., in which you found the information. In the previous
example, the source was given a number, instead of writing out the entire title.
You could write out the title on each card, or simply list your sources on a
separate sheet of paper, like the example here. Number your sources on this list,
and then use the numbers on the note cards to specify which source provided
which fact.
Sample Source List
Remember! This is not a complete works cited,
bibliography, or reference page. You will need to add the publication
information and use the correct citation format (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian,
etc.) for the formal works cited page.
2. Item number three is the paraphrased information that you found. It is helpful
to paraphrase, or summarize, your research on the index cards while you are
taking notes. If you are consistent in paraphrasing at this stage, then you will be
certain not to accidentally plagiarize someone else's work. You will also have
less work to do when you are actually writing the paper. the image of a notecard
with a mark on page.

5. 3. It is important to be accurate with the page numbers on your note cards, as you
will need them for citations throughout your research paper. Be sure you know
which form of citation your teacher requires. (For information on citing your
sources, look at English Works! handouts on MLA, APA, and
Chicago/Turabian Style citations).
ORGANIZING
Once you have written the information down on the note cards, you only need to go back and
organize your cards by topic. Group together all the cards that have the same topic (i.e. all the
cards titled: "Hughes' Poetry" should be together). When you finish, you should have your cards
in piles, one topic per pile. You can have any number of piles and any number of cards in each
pile. The length and detail of your paper will determine how many piles and cards you have.
Your piles may look like:

6. MAKE AN OUTLINE AND START WRITING
Once you have separated your cards into piles, each topic pile should become a body paragraph
in your paper. That is the key to this system. If every topic directly supports your thesis
statement, then each topic pile should become a supporting idea, body paragraph, or part of a
paragraph in your paper.
But before you actually begin writing, you should make an outline of the order you want to
present these topics in your paper. (For help making an outline, see the English Works web page
on Pre-writing and Outlines). Once the outline is complete, use your note cards as guides and
begin writing. For further help on writing a research paper, refer to the English Works! web
page Process of Doing a Research Paper, Guide to Developing Thesis Statements, and/or Guide
to Writing Introductions and Conclusions.
***
General areas of research inliterature
Introduction - Research work traditionally defined as gathering data that can help to
answer the questions about various aspects in the concern subject. The research work may be
asked to provide answers to questions of theoretical interest to particular discipline. Research
comprises "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge,
including knowledge of humans, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to
devise new applications." It is used to establish or confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous
work, solve new or existing problems, support theorems, or develop new theories. A research
project may also be an expansion on past work in the field. Research projects can be used to
develop further knowledge on a topic, or in the example of a school research project, they can be
used to further a student's research prowess to prepare them for future jobs or reports. To test the
validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior
projects or the project as a whole. The primary purposes of basic research are documentation,
discovery, interpretation, or the research and development of methods and systems for the
advancement of human knowledge. Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which
vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences.
There are several forms of research: scientific, humanities, artistic, economic, social,
business, marketing, practitioner research, life, technological, etc. Likewise, there are General
areas of research in literature – Textual analysis, criticism, history, movements, writers, types of
Genres, translations, etc. We can elaborate the above areas of research in literature as follows-
1. Textual analysis - A Research can be done on a particular text/s or book/s. Such
research can be called a textual analysis. In such type of textual analysis research, a

7. particular text or book is selected for a research study. Roughly, it is a study of story, plot
summary and a biography of the author. A researcher minutely reads and illustrates the
information/data available in the selected text in the light of research hypotheses(topic).
The researcher systematically analyses a to z material in the selected text in general and
the selected information (related to the topic) in particular. For example, if a researcher
selects a tragedy “Hamlet” by Shakespeare, he studies the different sides of the text like
characters, theme, conflict, dramatic monologue, poetic justice, etc as well as the data
related to the selected research topic (problem) i.e. “The Mental Conflict in the Mind of
Hamlet”. If a researcher has selected a volume (text) of poetry by Wordsworth, he would
study every stanza and every line of the poems like meter, rhyme scheme, tone, theme,
genere, etc. as well as the data regarding the selected topic, like “The Natural Images in
the Poetry of Wordsworth.”
2. Criticism - Literary criticism is the comparison, analysis, interpretation, and/or
evaluation of works of literature. Literary criticism is essentially an opinion, supported by
evidence, relating to theme, style, setting or historical or political context. It usually
includes discussion of the work’s content and integrates your ideas with other insights
gained from research. Literary criticism may have a positive or a negative bias and may
be a study of an individual piece of literature or an author’s body of work.Although
criticism may include some of the following elements in order to support an idea, literary
criticism is NOT a plot summary, a biography of the author, or simply finding fault with
the literature. Examples of some types of literary criticism are:
Biographical, Comparative, Ethical, Expressive, Feminist, Historical, Mimetic,
Pragmatic, Psychological, Social, Theoretical, etc.
3. Movements – In this area of research, a particular movement is taken into consideration
for research work. The background of the selected movement is studied. The emergence
of that movement, its pioneers (starters), its ideals, its assumptions, its period (start to
end), etc. are illustrated. For example, if psychoanalytical movement is taken for a
research work, the study topics will be its emergence (starting years), its writers, its
ideals, its assumptions, its nature, etc. If a topic like “Psychoanalytical study of the novel
To The Light House”, it is expected to study the story, plot and the behavior of all the
characters regarding their psychological development (change). The next example of
movement in research is - Indian Aesthetics: Rasa, Dhvani, Vakrokti, Alamkara.

8. 4. Writers- In such area of research, a particular writer and his complete literary career is
taken into consideration for research work. The particular writer, his biography, his
tendency, his favorite themes, his development as a writer, his weakness, his
masterpieces (texts), etc. are illustrated. Such writer can be a poet, a novelist, a dramatist,
an essayist, etc. If a topic is selected as “Vijay Tendulkar: The Angry Young Man of
Indian English Theatre”, then the study of Vijay Tendulkar as a writer (dramatist), his
biography, his favorite themes, his development as a writer, his weakness, his
masterpieces (dramas) are to be studied.
5. Translations- This is a new area of research. It is a trend now to translate literature in
many other languages of the world. Due to this translation a local text becomes known to
the whole world. English is a major target language for translation. Almost all the texts in
the world are translated in English. The translation trend is helping to create a new type
of literature – world literature which is free from the barriers of land and language. The
best example is translation is the Dalit literature. Dalit literature i.e. Dalit poetry, Dalit
novels, Dalit dramas, etc. has been written mainly in Marathi and Hindi. Now, such kind
of local Dalit literature is translated on a large scale not only in other Indian languages
but also in languages of the world. That is why, now Dalit literature is a special subject in
many world class universities for learning and research. For example, Joothan by a
famous Dalit writer Omprakash Valmiki is translated into many languages and an
attraction for research work.
6. History – This is the traditional area of research. In such area, a topic from history is
selected. The research covers the topics like the particular historical period, its historical
importance, its historical reasons, its impact (influence), its socio-political set up,
lifestyle, tendencies, etc. A historical character/personality, a historical event, a historical
decision and its impact, etc. can be the subject of research. If a research topic “Nature of
English Language in the Dramas Shakespearean Age” is selected, then the study would
cover the topics like the history of Shakespearean age, the type of English spoken in that
age, the accent, the rhythm, the type of spoken and written styles of English language, the
outdated vocabulary of Old English compared to today’s English, English spoken by the
High class people and low class people, etc. The second example can be the novels on the
historical event – India and Pakistan partition, such novels are called as Partition Novels.
***

9. Approaches to research in literature
Introduction - Research work traditionally defined as gathering data that can help
to answer the questions about various aspects in the concern subject. The research work
may be asked to provide answers to questions of theoretical interest to particular
discipline. Research comprises "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the
stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humans, culture and society, and the use of
this stock of knowledge to devise new applications." It is used to establish or confirm
facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve new or existing problems, support
theorems, or develop new theories. A research project may also be an expansion on past
work in the field. Research projects can be used to develop further knowledge on a topic,
or in the example of a school research project, they can be used to further a student's
research prowess to prepare them for future jobs or reports. To test the validity of
instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior
projects or the project as a whole. The primary purposes of basic research are
documentation, discovery, interpretation, or the research and development of methods
and systems for the advancement of human knowledge. Approaches to research depend
on epistemologies, which vary considerably both within and between humanities and
sciences.
There are different approaches to research in literature. They can be studied as follows-
1. Individual writer / text – Ref. General areas of research in literature ans.
2. Comparative- In this type of approach, there is a comparative research study of two
or more writers or texts. Comparative research, simply put, is the act of comparing
two or more things with a view to discovering something about one or all of the
things being compared. This technique often utilizes multiple disciplines in one study.
When it comes to method, the majority agreement is that there is no methodology
peculiar to comparative research. Comparative research methods have long been used
in cross-cultural studies to identify, analyse and explain similarities and differences
across societies. Whatever the methods used, research that crosses national
boundaries increasingly takes account of socio-cultural settings. Attempts to find
solutions to these problems involve negotiation and compromise and a sound

10. knowledge of different national contexts. The benefits to be gained from cross-
national work include a deeper understanding of other cultures and of their research
processes. The comparative approach to the study of society has a long tradition
dating back to Ancient Greece. Since the nineteenth century, philosophers,
anthropologists, political scientists and sociologists have used cross-cultural
comparisons to achieve various objectives. comparisons have served as a tool for
developing classifications of social phenomena and for establishing whether shared
phenomena can be explained by the same causes. For many sociologists, comparisons
have provided an analytical framework for examining (and explaining) social and
cultural differences and specificity. More recently, as greater emphasis has been
placed on contextualization, cross-national comparisons have served increasingly as a
means of gaining a better understanding of different societies, their structures and
institutions. With the globalization and interdisciplinary studies, the changes have
also been occurred in the field of literary studies which have affected the birth of
comparative literature. Comparative literature is itself a not creative literature like the
short story, poem and novel; the basic theme of comparative literature is the
comparison. Comparison is the main tool for the study of more than one literature.
For example, “Women Characters in the Novels of Toni Morrison and Anita Desai :
A Comparative Study” would study the novels of Morrison and Desai with a common
view of women characters.
3. Interdisciplinary - Interdisciplinary studies involves the combining of two or more
academic disciplines (areas) into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws
knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology,
economics etc. It is about creating something by thinking across boundaries. It is
related to an interdiscipline or an interdisciplinary field, which is an organizational
unit that crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of
thought, as new needs and professions emerge. The term interdisciplinary is applied
within education and training pedagogies to describe studies that use methods and
insights of several established disciplines or traditional fields of study.
Interdisciplinarity involves researchers, students, and teachers in the goals of
connecting and integrating several academic schools (areas) of thought, professions,
or technologies—along with their specific perspectives—in the pursuit of a common
task. Interdisciplinary may be applied where the subject is felt to have been neglected

11. or even misrepresented in the traditional disciplinary structure of research institutions,
for example, women's studies or ethnic area studies. Interdisciplinarity can likewise
be applied to complex subjects that can only be understood by combining the
perspectives of two or more fields. The adjective interdisciplinary is most often used
in educational circles when researchers from two or more disciplines use their
approaches and modify them so that they are better suited to the problem at hand,
including the case of the team-taught course where students are required to
understand a given subject in terms of multiple traditional disciplines. For example,
the subject of land use may appear differently when examined by different
disciplines, for instance, biology, chemistry, economics, geography, and politics.
For example, Marxism is a term from political science. It is used in literature as
Marxist theory. Psychology and literature are studied together as psychoanalysis.
4. Eclectic - Eclecticism has been derived from the verb root “elect”. To elect means to
choose and pick up. The good ideas, concept and principles from various schools of
thought have been chosen, picked up and blended together to make a complete
philosophy. Thus eclecticism is a philosophy of choice. Eclecticism is nothing but
fusion of knowledge from all sources. It is a peculiar type of educational philosophy
which combines all good ideas and principles from various philosophies. Eclecticism
is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of
assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain
complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.
It can sometimes seem inelegant or lacking in simplicity, and eclectics are sometimes
criticized for lack of consistency in their thinking. It is, however, common in many
fields of study. Eclectic research requires the researcher to utilize a set of very
different methods in solving a research problem. In other words, the research budget
should be split so that a variety of approaches can be used The eclectic method is a
combination of different method of teaching and learning approaches. Eclecticism is
the principle or practice of choosing or involving objects, ideas, and beliefs from
many different sources. Eclectic approach is a method of language education that
combines various approaches and methodologies to teach language depending on the
aims of the lesson and the abilities of the learners. Different teaching methods are
borrowed and adapted to suit the requirement of the learners. It breaks the monotony

12. of the class. In addition. It is a conceptual approach that does not merely include one
paradigm or a set of assumptions. Instead, eclecticism adheres to or is constituted
from several theories, styles, and ideas in order to gain a thorough insight about the
subject, and draws upon different theories in different cases. ‘Eclecticism’ is common
in many fields of study such as psychology, martial arts, philosophy, teaching,
religion and drama. We live in such an era when dogmatic adherence to a particular
philosophy is foolish and is quite harmful. The world is changing very fast. Values
are changing rapidly. We require a dynamic outlook and mental flexibility to have an
all-round adjustment and optimal development. No philosophy contributes to all
aspects of education. Idealism based on spirituality. Naturalism based on materialism.
Pragmatism is between the two. While idealism is famous for its high and lofty aims
of education, pragmatism is famous for its brilliant principles and curriculum,
naturalism for its method of education. No philosophy is full-fledged to provide all
things. But we want an integral education for complete living. If we synthesis all
good ideas and principles with the best materials of all these philosophies we have to
adopt an eclectic approach by harmonizing the conflicting ideologies and blend them
together. We have to find unity in diversities through eclectic approach.
***
Note Taking
Note-taking (sometimes written as notetaking or note taking) is the practice of recording
information captured from another source. By taking notes, the writer records the essence
of the information, freeing their mind from having to recall everything. Notes are
commonly drawn from a transient source, such as an oral discussion at a meeting, or a
lecture (notes of a meeting are usually called minutes), in which case the notes may be
the only record of the event. Note taking is a form of self discipline. The one of the major
aims of note taking is to build up a stable external memory in a form that can be used at a
later date. Note-takers are trying to avoid forgetting something. Note taking is an
essential tool in many information-transmission situations. Note taking allows students to
gather information from lectures, books, or any other situation that they will later have to
memorize or use in order to successfully complete their academic program. Note taking is
an effective information-processing tool that is commonly used both in daily life and in
many professions. Generally such notes are similar to a rough draft created while reading

13. something. Note-takers are assumed to re-read their notes as many times as necessary for
them to learn their content/topic. The thinking behind this is that note-taking requires
effort. Rather than passively taking information in, the act of encoding the information
into words or pictures forms new pathways in the brain, which stores it more firmly in
long-term memory. On top of that, having the information stored in a new place gives
students the opportunity to revisit it later and reinforce the learning that happened the first
time around. The more notes researcher takes, the more information they tend to
remember later. The quantity of notes is directly related to how much information a
researcher retains. Note taking is an essential skill for university students, but taking
notes and integrating information from many sources, including textbooks, labs, online
discussions, lectures, and/or seminars, can be challenging.
Note-taking is the practice of writing down or otherwise recording key points of
information. Note-taking is an important part of the research process. Notes taken on
class lectures or discussions may serve as study aids, while notes taken during an
interview may provide material for an essay, article, or book. Note-taking involves
certain cognitive behavior; writing notes engages your brain in specific and beneficial
ways that help you grasp and retain information. Note-taking can result in broader
learning than simply mastering course content because it helps you to process
information and make connections between ideas, allowing you to apply your new
knowledge to novel contexts. Taking notes forces you to actively engage your brain as
you identify what's important in terms of what the speaker is saying and begin to organize
that information into a comprehensible format to decipher later. That process, which is
far more than simply scribbling what you hear, involves some heavy brainwork. Note-
taking aids in reflection, mentally reviewing what you write. To that end, there are certain
methods of note-taking that are among the most popular:
The Cornell method, where you divide the paper into three sections: a space on the left
for writing the main topics, a larger space on the right to write your notes, and a space at
the bottom to summarize your notes; review and clarify your notes a soon as possible
after class; summarize what you've written on the bottom of the page; and finally, study
your notes.
Creating a mind map, a visual diagram that lets you organize your notes in a two-
dimensional structure, says Focus. You create a mind map by writing the subject or

14. headline in the center of the page then add your notes in the form of branches that radiate
outward from the center.
Outlining, which is similar to creating an outline that you might use for a research paper.
Charting, which allows you to break up information into such categories as similarities
and differences; dates, events, and impact; and pros and cons, says East Carolina
University.
The sentence method, where you record every new thought, fact or topic on a separate
line. "All information is recorded, but it lacks (the) clarification of major and minor
topics. Immediate review and editing are required to determine how information should
be organized," says East Carolina University.