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Research

A systematic investigation for the purpose of gaining new knowledge in a broad sense. Research

is any study that leads to new knowledge for the person doing research."

Literary Research

Literature is different from natural sciences or social sciences. t is the product of the creative

writer. Literary research! therefore! cannot confine itself to either the literary tet or the

Literature is different from natural sciences or social sciences. t is the product of the creative

writer. Literary research! therefore! cannot confine itself to either the literary tet or the writer# it

has to study both. $hen its material %the ob&ect of study' is the creative writer! it applies the tools

of social sciences and when the ob&ect of study is the tet! it applies the tools which are specific

to it. (he methods of analysis and evaluation of a literary tet have become autonomous. (hey

have their own theories and principles which are being constantly modified and revised.

Literary Research! because of the duality of its ob&ect of study! is of four kinds) (a) Bibliography

and textual criticism, (b) Biographical, (c) Theoretical and (d) Interpretive.  

(a)Bibliography and Textual Criticism:

(etual research is concerned with the establishment of an authoritative tet! correction of past

editions! chronology! authenticity and attribution. *o reader can appreciate a tet which is full of 

errors. +econdly! he must know that the tet he is reading is a genuine one.

(b)Biographical:

A biographer has to collect material from different sources! study the author,s published works

and unpublished writings as well! interview him fre-uently if he is alive! meet and collect

information from the people close to him! distinguish fact from fiction and after that present the

life story! laying more emphasis on the literary side by correlating the important events of his life

and time and his works! systematically! chronologically and interestingly.

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(c) Theoretical:

(his kind of research can be compared to the basis research in natural and social sciences. ts aim

is to propound a theory of literature or modify and improve an already eisting one.

(he modern critics have defined their approach. /ethod and techni-ue analysed literary tets

and evaluated creative writers on the basis of the theories they have formulated after a wide

range of study.

(d) Interpretive: 

(his kind of research can be compared to the applied research in sciences. t analyses. nterprets

and evaluates a literary tet of an author by applying the principles of a particular theory. t may

 be a study of an author0s style! use of imagery or symbolism! eploration of myth! perception of 

social reality! and epression of the inner soul! development of thought or the structure of his

tets.

Aims and b!ectives o" Research

(he university education system has three main functions) (a) teaching. (b) Research and (c)

extension. (he first function teaching is handing down the torch of knowledge to the net

generation.

(eaching is the most important function because without it the younger generation will never 

have access to the treasure of knowledge its forefathers have collected. Research adds something

new to the treasure of knowledge and without it teaching will lose its utility gradually. A

conscientious teacher always learns something new! makes it a part of the storage of his

knowledge! modifies his views in the light of new facts! reorders his methods and goes to the

classroom to ac-uaint the learners with the new knowledge he has gained. n other words he is

engaged in research.

 Literary research has four main obectives!

a) Advancement o" #no$ledge% (here are two aspects of it. (he first is the assimilation of 

the intellectual achievements of the predecessors. Research means going from the known to the

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unknown. t is necessary that the researcher should have a thorough knowledge of what has been

done in the past and what the present status of knowledge in the field of his investigation is.

(he researcher! therefore! should first survey the literature on the topic he is going to do research.

2or this! he must study the different points of view disinterestedly and critically and assimilate

logically for full understanding of the problem he is going to investigate.

(he second aspect is the discovery of new facts and a fresh interpretation of the known facts.

n our survey of literature we must refer to both the positive and negative points of our 

 predecessors. 3orrect their ideas and advance our own eplanation of the facts that were either 

overlooked or wrongly observed and interpreted by them and avoid being a mediocre narrator. t

is only the genuineness and originality of interpretation which makes our research a contribution

to the total body of knowledge.

b) Broadening the mind and sharpening the critical insight o" the researcher%

(he researcher is made of a different stuff. An average reader goes through a novel. A play or a

 poem for two reasons) %i' entertainment and %ii' morals. 4e seldom bothers about the artistic

 presentation of reality. 4e may react against the views epressed in a book or disbelieve the facts

 presented there.

5y wide reading we mean study of life and literature in not only the chosen field but also other 

disciplines.+econdly the researcher must be able to make a distinction between good tet and bad tet.

(hirdly! we must develop the ability to evaluate and &udge the general reliability of published

research. All critics are impartial.

c) Creation o" genuine and intelligent interest in literature:

(he aim of literary research is to create in researcher a genuine interest in literature. (he aim of 

research is to develop the powers of understanding and appreciating literature.

d) Research creates a sense o" belongingness to a collaborative community:

Research is a collective responsibility shared by all researchers. 5esides! it is not limited to time.

6very generation carries on the task which was not completed by previous generation.

According to 7r. 2.R.Leavis.

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9Research should be able to generate in the university a centre of human consciousness!

 perception! knowledge! &udgment and responsibility. Research has to be thought o in relation to

the whole idea of university. t must aim at establishing a creative front and doing creative work 

on the contemporary intellectual frontier."