This blog presents a reflective thinking activity assigned by Barad Sir as part of the coursework for Paper I: Research Methodology. It explores the distinct yet interconnected roles of the critic, researcher, and scholar, while also examining the intellectual mindset, temperament, and ethical qualities essential to the scholarly vocation. These video lectures are based on 'The Art of Literary Research' by Richard Altick and John Fenstermaker.
Introduction
Transitioning from a student to a research scholar is far more than a change in academic status. It is a fundamental transformation of the mind. While students are often trained to acquire, understand, and reproduce knowledge, scholars are expected to question, interpret, critique, and ultimately contribute to the creation of new knowledge. This shift requires cultivating intellectual curiosity, patience, discipline, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty.
In this discussion, we will explore how to navigate the transition from merely learning the technical conventions of academic writing to developing the scholarly mindset that gives research its true purpose and meaning. Beyond mastering citations, methodologies, and formal writing styles, becoming a scholar involves learning to think critically, engage ethically with existing knowledge, and participate in an ongoing intellectual conversation. It is this transformation of perspective and temperament that makes scholarly work not only rigorous but also deeply rewarding.
Beyond the Watertight Compartments: Critic, Researcher and Scholar
Richard Altick and John Fenstermaker argue that the roles of the critic, scholar, and researcher should not be viewed as rigid or isolated categories. Rather than existing in "watertight compartments," these roles constantly overlap, and a successful literary academic often performs all three depending on the demands of the inquiry. Literary research, therefore, is not merely about mastering technical procedures, but it is about cultivating a scholarly temperament capable of interpretation, contextual understanding, and original investigation.
The Critic: The critic's primary concern is the literary work itself. Their attention is directed "within" the text, its language, style, structure, symbolism, imagery, narrative technique, themes, and ideas. Through close reading and theoretical approaches such as feminism, postcolonialism, psychoanalysis, or ecocriticism, the critic seeks to uncover meanings that may not be immediately apparent. The critic interprets rather than simply describes, revealing how a text functions as a work of literature. However, criticism does not exist in isolation. A critic frequently relies upon the findings of scholars regarding historical background, textual authenticity, and authorial context to enrich interpretation.
Example: A feminist critic studying 'Jane Eyre' may analyse Jane's resistance to patriarchal authority and interpret the novel as a narrative of female selfhood and autonomy by closely examining Brontë's language, characterization, and symbolism.
The Scholar: While the critic looks primarily within the text, the scholar looks both within and beyond it. Scholarship investigates the genesis of a literary work—how, why, and under what historical, cultural, and intellectual conditions it came into existence. Scholars examine manuscripts, letters, archival materials, historical records, and previous research to reconstruct the larger world surrounding a text. Scholarship expands the horizons of literary study by placing individual works within broader historical, cultural, and theoretical frameworks. In doing so, it provides the essential foundation upon which criticism can build. As Altick and Fenstermaker suggest, profound scholarship ultimately enriches criticism, while insightful criticism contributes to literary history.
Example: A scholar researching 'Paradise Lost' would investigate John Milton's political writings, the English Civil War, Puritan theology, and classical influences to understand how these historical and intellectual forces shaped the poem.
The Researcher: The researcher combines the strengths of both the critic and the scholar while moving a step further: producing new knowledge. A researcher identifies unanswered questions, formulates hypotheses, gathers evidence systematically, and develops original arguments that contribute to academic discourse. According to Altick and Fenstermaker, a literary researcher must possess a vivid sense of history, enabling them to imaginatively enter another historical period while maintaining what they call "double vision" (understanding the past on its own terms while viewing it from the perspective of the present). This historical imagination must be supported by methodological rigour. Since literary studies depend on interpretation, a researcher's insights should never become mere speculation or "fantasia", they must be grounded in textual evidence, historical documentation, and sound reasoning. Literary research is also inherently interdisciplinary. Researchers often draw upon history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, economics, and cultural studies to understand the environment in which literature is produced and received.
Example: A researcher studying contemporary Greek myth retellings could investigate how water functions as a metaphor for female identity through the lens of hydrofeminism. By comparing 'Circe', 'The Penelopiad', and 'A Thousand Ships', the researcher might argue that these novels reconceptualize water as a medium of memory, embodiment, and ecological interconnectedness, thereby contributing a new perspective to feminist literary studies.
A Shared Intellectual Enterprise: Although critics, scholars, and researchers emphasize different aspects of literary inquiry, they ultimately participate in the same intellectual enterprise. The critic offers interpretation, the scholar provides historical and contextual understanding, and the researcher synthesizes these foundations to generate new knowledge. Together, these roles demonstrate that literary research is not simply a technical exercise but a disciplined, imaginative, and collaborative pursuit of understanding.
Successful research is not determined solely by technical competence. It is equally shaped by the intellectual mindset of the researcher. While mastering research methods, citation styles, and data collection forms the "hardware" of research, it is the scholar's curiosity, imagination, discipline, and temperament—the "software"—that ultimately determines the quality and originality of scholarly work. Becoming a research scholar therefore requires a fundamental transformation of the mind, moving beyond the habits of an undergraduate or postgraduate student toward a way of thinking that continually questions, investigates, and creates knowledge.
Reimagining the Scholarly Mind: The transition from student to researcher involves more than acquiring advanced knowledge. It demands reimagining one's intellectual capacities. A student is often expected to understand and reproduce existing knowledge, whereas a research scholar is expected to challenge assumptions, identify gaps in scholarship, and contribute something genuinely new. This transformation requires intellectual independence, critical thinking, and the confidence to pursue original questions.
What Makes Research Rewarding? A research project becomes truly rewarding when it results in knowledge that the scholar is eager to share because it offers a meaningful contribution to the field. Such research is driven not by the desire to fulfil academic requirements but by the satisfaction of discovering something significant. According to the discussion, rewarding research depends upon several essential qualities:
Imagination, which enables scholars to envision possibilities beyond accepted assumptions.
Originality of approach, allowing familiar texts or problems to be examined from fresh perspectives.
Solidity of learning, built upon a broad understanding of literature as well as related disciplines such as history, philosophy, sociology, and psychology.
The wish and the will to explore, motivating scholars to continually ask new questions rather than accept conventional answers.
Imagination and Intellectual Curiosity: Imagination is not the opposite of rigorous scholarship, it is one of its driving forces. Just as scientific breakthroughs often begin by challenging accepted beliefs, literary research advances when scholars imagine possibilities that have not yet been explored. However, imagination must always be disciplined by evidence and logical argument. Equally important is ultimate curiosity—the desire to know more. Personal admiration for an author or enjoyment of a literary work may inspire research initially, but such emotional attachment alone cannot sustain scholarly inquiry. Lasting research is motivated by an enduring curiosity that continually seeks deeper understanding and raises further questions.
From Aesthetic Pleasure to Academic Delight: Many students begin reading literature for its aesthetic beauty and emotional impact. While this appreciation remains valuable, research demands a different kind of satisfaction, academic delight. This pleasure arises from discovering patterns, developing interpretations, solving intellectual problems, and contributing original insights to literary studies. The joy of scholarship lies not merely in appreciating literature but in expanding our understanding of it.
The Importance of Divergent Thinking: Research flourishes when scholars think beyond familiar interpretations. Divergent thinking encourages multiple perspectives, innovative questions, and unconventional approaches, preventing scholarship from becoming repetitive or formulaic. Instead of reproducing established interpretations, researchers should cultivate the confidence to propose new hypotheses while grounding their arguments in careful evidence.
Methodology as a Guide, Not a Cage: Research methodology provides essential structure, but it should not become a rigid set of instructions that suppresses originality. Excessive emphasis on following prescribed procedures can lead to imitation rather than innovation. While methodological discipline ensures credibility, meaningful research also requires openness, flexibility, and intellectual exploration. The most valuable discoveries often emerge when scholars move beyond predictable pathways without abandoning scholarly rigour.
Beyond "Publish or Perish": The discussion offers a thoughtful critique of the culture of "publish or perish." When research becomes merely a requirement for promotions, appointments, or institutional recognition, scholarship risks becoming mechanical rather than meaningful. Genuine knowledge grows through curiosity, sustained inquiry, and thoughtful debate, not through publication quotas. The purpose of research should be to raise new questions, invite critical responses, and deepen academic conversations. Scholarship produced solely under pressure may satisfy institutional demands, but it rarely advances knowledge in significant ways. The ideal scholar remains motivated by the pursuit of understanding rather than by numerical measures of productivity.
Lessons from Law and Journalism: The scholarly vocation shares important qualities with both the legal profession and investigative journalism.
From law, researchers learn the importance of evidence. Every claim must be supported through careful documentation, logical reasoning, and reliable sources. Personal intuition or unsupported opinion can never substitute for scholarly proof.
From journalism, scholars learn resourcefulness and persistence. Like investigative reporters, researchers must know where to locate information, pursue overlooked sources, follow promising leads, and organise diverse materials into a coherent and persuasive argument. Both professions value careful observation, intellectual honesty, and effective communication.
Balancing Science and Art: Literary research occupies a unique position between scientific method and creative interpretation. It requires systematic inquiry, methodological precision, and factual accuracy while also demanding imagination, sensitivity, and interpretative insight. Methodology provides the tools, but interpretation remains the ultimate goal. In this sense, interpretation functions as the laboratory of the humanities. Just as scientists test hypotheses through experiments, literary scholars continually test interpretations against textual evidence, historical context, and theoretical frameworks. The strongest interpretations are neither arbitrary nor purely subjective; they emerge from a careful balance of creativity, critical reasoning, and evidence-based analysis.
Ultimately, the mind of a research scholar is distinguished not only by knowledge but by a lifelong commitment to curiosity, originality, disciplined imagination, and the continual pursuit of deeper understanding.
To better understand the above given points, check out this infographic, generated with the help of Notebook LM.
Images - 3
Videos - 2
References -
Altick, Richard Daniel, and John J. Fenstermaker. The art of literary research. Norton, 1993.
Barad, Dilip. “Critic, Researcher and Scholar | PhD Coursework | Batch 2020 |.” YouTube, 31 01 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6j0mE8lCd4.
Barad, Dilip, and MKBU DOE-. “Mind and Temperament of Research Scholar | PhD Coursework Sessions | Batch 2020 |.” YouTube, 31 01 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cebk1nzzrJw.
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