Meaning and Origins

Literary research is a phrasal formation composed of two terms ‘literary’ and ‘research’ wherein
‘literary’ is used as a ‘qualifier’ for ‘research’. It is an established research type that came into
existence when literary studies grew in volume. Literary research is on the surface of it
attractive, interesting and vividly striking among all the tasks of modern scholarship. It deals
with human material and is primarily concerned with man as the creator of literary art. It is
distinct from the social sciences and psychology, even if it seems to demonstrate an overlap of
interest with them. It uses history to understand fully the various intellectual, social, and artistic
milieus that provide the raw materials of experience, and explore the so-called baffling catalytic
process called the imagination used to create a literary work.
Literature vs science
Science and Literature are both products of one’s observation and experience. Literature is
engendered when a creative imagination is at work and science is engendered when a curious
imagination is at work One inhales experience over a course of time, and exhales literature. It is
the reason why most pieces of literature are too close to reality, the characters are organic and
pulsate with life.
Humanities:
It is a study of how people process and document the human experience. It gives the opportunity
for humans to feel a sense of connection with people who lived in the past and the present as
well. Literature is the foundation of humanity's cultures, beliefs, and traditions. It serves as a
reflection of reality, a product of art, and a window to an ideology. ... Whether it be poetry or
prose, literature provides insight, knowledge or wisdom, and emotion towards the person who
partakes it entirely.