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Research: Advanced: Humanities

Subject Headings

Combine your subject area:

  • Literature
  • American literature
  • English literature
  • World literature
  • Commonwealth literature (English)
  • Women's authors
  • Southern literature
  • Gothic literature
  • English poetry - Nineteenth century
  • etc.

with the a type of information.

  • Information resources
  • Bibliography
  • Sources

Examples:

  • American literature - Bibliography

or with a process

  • Methodology
  • Research
  • Research methods
  • Statistical methods

Example:

  • American literature - Research

Humanities

Characteristics of Research in the Humanities

Research is usually qualitative, not quantitative.

Multiple perspectives examined.

Researchers typically work alone.

Cumulative arguments.

Investigations into "texts", images and artifacts - not data.

Heavy use of libraries, archives, and museums.

Research allows for a certain amount of judgement. Two people examining the same "texts" may come to different conclusions

Emphasis on primary sources.

Humanists develop large personal libraries, often re-reading the same sources to glean additional insights.

Less emphasis on technology as a research tool than other disciplines.

The Book is still the primary means of publishing research.

In writing a paper, humanists identify what they need and discard what is irrelevant.

Timeliness emphasised over currency.

Heavy use upon libraries, books, journals, bibliographies, and textual databases.

Asks and explores a question about human culture.

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