The document summarizes a workshop on research methodology in area studies organized by the Centre for the Study of Nepal and Trans Himalayan Region at Banaras Hindu University from October 3-10, 2015. It provides an overview of area studies as interdisciplinary and focusing on various socio-cultural, economic, and political aspects of nations and regions. It then outlines the history of area studies and how fields like orientalism, philological studies, ethnography, and others emerged and influenced area studies. New developments like globalization, identity questions, and regional economic blocks have further expanded the scope of area studies.