Core Course- 5 Category- I

Semester- II

Question: What do you mean by Research? How do you choose a topic in Historical
Research?
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Answer:
Historical research is gaining ground rapidly among the historians, scholars and archaeologists. They
are devoting their time and energy to enrich our knowledge about the past history with the help of their
researches. As history is both a science and an art, the methods to be used in writing history would be different
from those of all other disciplines. As complete objectivity is impossible to achieve, the aim should be to
reconstruct the past as nearly as it really happened.
What is Research? Everything written by a historian or a scholar does not fall in the category of
research. Research may be defined as an activity which aims at bringing to light something new. It adds to the
existing knowledge through a systematic study or investigation of a particular subject.
Historical research can constitute either all or any of the three important activities given below:
1. Collection of New data
2. Fresh interpretation of the data already known and
3. Subordination of the data to a principle
The following three important activities need special attention for better understanding of the historical
research.
Normally research in India is undertaken after completion of post-graduation but in some Indian
Universities the students are given an option of writing a thesis in Master's Degree. It is in form of a long essay
duly supported by available sources and interpretation. Usually, students apply critical methods in completion
of his work. But serious research work is done by the students after completion of post graduate degree.
A research work may be undertaken due to various reasons. Generally, students undertake a research
work in order to acquire a degree so that after completion of the same he may be able to secure a job. Sometimes
a student wants to do research work in order to enhance his prestige and reputation. It has two purposes, first to
get degree and seco to get some stipend to fulfil his needs.

Interest of Researcher: A researcher must select a subject very carefully keeping in view his interest
because he has to work on the selected topic for years using the energy and resources. A researcher can put his
best in his work because of his interest in the subject till the completion of his work. He must make a careful
choice as to which branch of history viz. Ancient, medieval of modern, he has great interest. A researcher should
also keep in mind whether the topic belongs to social, economic, political, religious aspect and whether it
concerns to national, regional, local or international level. In fact, the subject must be of the choice of scholar.
Availability of Source Material: At the time of choosing the subject, a researcher must be sure of the
availability of sufficient source material. He should also keep in mind the time period during which the research
project could be completed. If a researcher does not pay enough attention to the resources, he will not be able
to round up his work successfully. Actually, the success of a researcher completely depends on 15 skill and how
carefully he utilizes the resources. Selection of vague topic may lead to failure. To avoid such mishappening a
researcher must be very alert while choosing a subject.
Reliable Research Materials: A researcher is expected to produce a good and excellent piece of work.
Therefore, before choosing a subject finally, he must keep in mind that the reliable research material will be
made available to him cosily. He is also required to consider the fact whether the material will be available at
one place or it is scattered at different places. If he is not in a position to collect the scattered material, he must
give up his idea of selecting that particular subject. Generally, people and institutions do not agree to show their
records.

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 Language of the Material Available: An efficient and hardworking researcher should also keep in
mind the language of the material available in mind before the final selection of the topic. He should also think
that in case material is available in other than his own language, how he would manage to utilize it. If there is
none to assist, then he must give up the idea of selecting that topic and switch to some other topic for which the
matter is available in the language known to him.
Selection of Useful Subject: A researcher is also required to select a topic which suits to his taste and
resources. He should also consider that the topic of research would prove to be useful for the society and people. Page | 2
If you fail to do justice with research work because of the vastness of the topic, there is no need in the selection
of such topic. It will be sheer waste of time and energy, if the subject selection is neither acceptable nor does it
have any utility.
To Avoid Research Work on Comparative History: A new researcher during the course of his study
should not select a topic of comparative history. Since all the researchers are not born with a silver spoon in
their mouth, they should avoid to select such topic. It is also not easy for new researcher to establish a harmony
between the two different countries or personalities in terms of the current prevailing norms, hence no topic of
comparative study should be chosen as a subject of study by new researchers. Prof. L. Gottschalk also mentions,
“Such problems should be avoided by the beginning investigators or broken down into their component
parts with the intention of starting moderately with one alone of the three components."
Lastly a researcher can also have some help in the selection of his subject from a survey of the reviews
of new books and bibliographical articles which are published in different historical periodicals from time to
time, generally in the reviews and bibliographical articles, so a researcher gets an opportunity to make up his
mind and choose some topic of his choice, according to his interest.
Though selection of topic is a difficult task however a good researcher can make up his mind weighing
all the pros and cons before the final selection of his topic and ultimately succeeds in making right choice, by
which he makes the difficult task an easy one.

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