research work in english literature

Chapter Four: Theory, Methodologies, Methods, and Evidence

Research Methods

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This page discusses the following topics:

Research Goals

Research method types.

Before discussing research   methods , we need to distinguish them from  methodologies  and  research skills . Methodologies, linked to literary theories, are tools and lines of investigation: sets of practices and propositions about texts and the world. Researchers using Marxist literary criticism will adopt methodologies that look to material forces like labor, ownership, and technology to understand literature and its relationship to the world. They will also seek to understand authors not as inspired geniuses but as people whose lives and work are shaped by social forces.

Example: Critical Race Theory Methodologies

Critical Race Theory may use a variety of methodologies, including

• Interest convergence: investigating whether marginalized groups only achieve progress when dominant groups benefit as well
• Intersectional theory: investigating how multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage around race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc. operate together in complex ways
• Radical critique of the law: investigating how the law has historically been used to marginalize particular groups, such as black people, while recognizing that legal efforts are important to achieve emancipation and civil rights
• Social constructivism: investigating how race is socially constructed (rather than biologically grounded)
• Standpoint epistemology: investigating how knowledge relates to social position
• Structural determinism: investigating how structures of thought and of organizations determine social outcomes

To identify appropriate methodologies, you will need to research your chosen theory and gather what methodologies are associated with it. For the most part, we can’t assume that there are “one size fits all” methodologies.

Research skills are about how you handle materials such as library search engines, citation management programs, special collections materials, and so on.

Research methods  are about where and how you get answers to your research questions. Are you conducting interviews? Visiting archives? Doing close readings? Reviewing scholarship? You will need to choose which methods are most appropriate to use in your research and you need to gain some knowledge about how to use these methods. In other words, you need to do some research into research methods!

Your choice of research method depends on the kind of questions you are asking. For example, if you want to understand how an author progressed through several drafts to arrive at a final manuscript, you may need to do archival research. If you want to understand why a particular literary work became a bestseller, you may need to do audience research. If you want to know why a contemporary author wrote a particular work, you may need to do interviews. Usually literary research involves a combination of methods such as  archival research ,  discourse analysis , and  qualitative research  methods.

Literary research methods tend to differ from research methods in the hard sciences (such as physics and chemistry). Science research must present results that are reproducible, while literary research rarely does (though it must still present evidence for its claims). Literary research often deals with questions of meaning, social conventions, representations of lived experience, and aesthetic effects; these are questions that reward dialogue and different perspectives rather than one great experiment that settles the issue. In literary research, we might get many valuable answers even though they are quite different from one another. Also in literary research, we usually have some room to speculate about answers, but our claims have to be plausible (believable) and our argument comprehensive (meaning we don’t overlook evidence that would alter our argument significantly if it were known).

A literary researcher might select the following:

Theory: Critical Race Theory

Methodology: Social Constructivism

Method: Scholarly

Skills: Search engines, citation management

Wendy Belcher, in  Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks , identifies two main approaches to understanding literary works: looking at a text by itself (associated with New Criticism ) and looking at texts as they connect to society (associated with Cultural Studies ). The goal of New Criticism is to bring the reader further into the text. The goal of Cultural Studies is to bring the reader into the network of discourses that surround and pass through the text. Other approaches, such as Ecocriticism, relate literary texts to the Sciences (as well as to the Humanities).

The New Critics, starting in the 1940s,  focused on meaning within the text itself, using a method they called “ close reading .” The text itself becomes e vidence for a particular reading. Using this approach, you should summarize the literary work briefly and q uote particularly meaningful passages, being sure to introduce quotes and then interpret them (never let them stand alone). Make connections within the work; a sk  “why” and “how” the various parts of the text relate to each other.

Cultural Studies critics see all texts  as connected to society; the critic  therefore has to connect a text to at least one political or social issue. How and why does  the text reproduce particular knowledge systems (known as discourses) and how do these knowledge systems relate to issues of power within the society? Who speaks and when? Answering these questions helps your reader understand the text in context. Cultural contexts can include the treatment of gender (Feminist, Queer), class (Marxist), nationality, race, religion, or any other area of human society.

Other approaches, such as psychoanalytic literary criticism , look at literary texts to better understand human psychology. A psychoanalytic reading can focus on a character, the author, the reader, or on society in general. Ecocriticism  look at human understandings of nature in literary texts.

We select our research methods based on the kinds of things we want to know. For example, we may be studying the relationship between literature and society, between author and text, or the status of a work in the literary canon. We may want to know about a work’s form, genre, or thematics. We may want to know about the audience’s reading and reception, or about methods for teaching literature in schools.

Below are a few research methods and their descriptions. You may need to consult with your instructor about which ones are most appropriate for your project. The first list covers methods most students use in their work. The second list covers methods more commonly used by advanced researchers. Even if you will not be using methods from this second list in your research project, you may read about these research methods in the scholarship you find.

Most commonly used undergraduate research methods:

• Scholarship Methods:  Studies the body of scholarship written about a particular author, literary work, historical period, literary movement, genre, theme, theory, or method.
• Textual Analysis Methods:  Used for close readings of literary texts, these methods also rely on literary theory and background information to support the reading.
• Biographical Methods:  Used to study the life of the author to better understand their work and times, these methods involve reading biographies and autobiographies about the author, and may also include research into private papers, correspondence, and interviews.
• Discourse Analysis Methods:  Studies language patterns to reveal ideology and social relations of power. This research involves the study of institutions, social groups, and social movements to understand how people in various settings use language to represent the world to themselves and others. Literary works may present complex mixtures of discourses which the characters (and readers) have to navigate.
• Creative Writing Methods:  A literary re-working of another literary text, creative writing research is used to better understand a literary work by investigating its language, formal structures, composition methods, themes, and so on. For instance, a creative research project may retell a story from a minor character’s perspective to reveal an alternative reading of events. To qualify as research, a creative research project is usually combined with a piece of theoretical writing that explains and justifies the work.

Methods used more often by advanced researchers:

• Archival Methods: Usually involves trips to special collections where original papers are kept. In these archives are many unpublished materials such as diaries, letters, photographs, ledgers, and so on. These materials can offer us invaluable insight into the life of an author, the development of a literary work, or the society in which the author lived. There are at least three major archives of James Baldwin’s papers: The Smithsonian , Yale , and The New York Public Library . Descriptions of such materials are often available online, but the materials themselves are typically stored in boxes at the archive.
• Computational Methods:  Used for statistical analysis of texts such as studies of the popularity and meaning of particular words in literature over time.
• Ethnographic Methods:  Studies groups of people and their interactions with literary works, for instance in educational institutions, in reading groups (such as book clubs), and in fan networks. This approach may involve interviews and visits to places (including online communities) where people interact with literary works. Note: before you begin such work, you must have  Institutional Review Board (IRB)  approval “to protect the rights and welfare of human participants involved in research.”
• Visual Methods:  Studies the visual qualities of literary works. Some literary works, such as illuminated manuscripts, children’s literature, and graphic novels, present a complex interplay of text and image. Even works without illustrations can be studied for their use of typography, layout, and other visual features.

Regardless of the method(s) you choose, you will need to learn how to apply them to your work and how to carry them out successfully. For example, you should know that many archives do not allow you to bring pens (you can use pencils) and you may not be allowed to bring bags into the archives. You will need to keep a record of which documents you consult and their location (box number, etc.) in the archives. If you are unsure how to use a particular method, please consult a book about it. [1] Also, ask for the advice of trained researchers such as your instructor or a research librarian.

• What research method(s) will you be using for your paper? Why did you make this method selection over other methods? If you haven’t made a selection yet, which methods are you considering?
• What specific methodological approaches are you most interested in exploring in relation to the chosen literary work?
• What is your plan for researching your method(s) and its major approaches?
• What was the most important lesson you learned from this page? What point was confusing or difficult to understand?

Write your answers in a webcourse discussion page.

• Introduction to Research Methods: A Practical Guide for Anyone Undertaking a Research Project  by Catherine, Dr. Dawson
• Practical Research Methods: A User-Friendly Guide to Mastering Research Techniques and Projects  by Catherine Dawson
• Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches  by John W. Creswell  Cheryl N. Poth
• Qualitative Research Evaluation Methods: Integrating Theory and Practice  by Michael Quinn Patton
• Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches  by John W. Creswell  J. David Creswell
• Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners  by Ranjit Kumar
• Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques  by C.R. Kothari

Strategies for Conducting Literary Research Copyright © 2021 by Barry Mauer & John Venecek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Literature Research Paper Topics

This page provides a comprehensive guide to literature research paper topics , offering an extensive list divided into twenty categories, each with ten unique topics. Students can navigate the immense landscape of literature, including classical, contemporary, and multicultural dimensions, literary theory, specific authors’ studies, genre analyses, and historical contexts. From understanding how to choose the right topic to crafting an insightful literature research paper, this guide serves as a one-stop resource. Furthermore, iResearchNet’s writing services are presented, providing students with the opportunity to order a custom literature research paper with a range of impressive features, including expert writers, in-depth research, top-quality work, and guaranteed satisfaction. By exploring this page, students can find invaluable assistance and inspiration to embark on their literature research journey.

200 Literature Research Paper Topics

Literature is an expansive field that encompasses a multitude of subcategories. Below, we offer 200 literature research paper topics, neatly divided into twenty categories. Each of these themes presents a rich array of options to inspire your next research paper.

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• The representation of heroism in Homer’s “Iliad”
• The concept of fate in ancient Greek tragedies
• Female characters in Sophocles’ plays
• The importance of dialogue in Plato’s philosophical works
• The depiction of Gods in “The Odyssey”
• Tragic love in Virgil’s “Aeneid”
• Prophecy and divination in ancient Greek literature
• Wisdom in the works of Socrates
• The portrayal of Athens in Aristophanes’ comedies
• Stoicism in Seneca’s letters and essays
• Christian symbolism in Dante’s “Divine Comedy”
• The depiction of women in “The Canterbury Tales”
• Heroism in “Beowulf”
• The significance of dreams in medieval literature
• Religious conflict in “The Song of Roland”
• The concept of courtly love in “Tristan and Isolde”
• The role of magic in Arthurian literature
• The representation of chivalry in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”
• Life and death in “The Book of the Dead”
• The theme of rebellion in “The Decameron”
• The influence of humanism in Shakespeare’s plays
• Love and beauty in Petrarch’s sonnets
• The representation of monarchy in “The Faerie Queene”
• The depiction of the New World in “Utopia”
• The power of speech in “Othello”
• Metaphysical poetry and John Donne
• Tragedy and revenge in “Hamlet”
• Women in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
• The concept of the ideal ruler in Machiavelli’s “The Prince”
• Religion and superstition in “Macbeth”
• The use of satire in Jonathan Swift’s works
• Romantic love in “Pride and Prejudice”
• The depiction of the bourgeoisie in “Candide”
• The role of women in “Moll Flanders”
• The critique of society in “Gulliver’s Travels”
• The supernatural in “The Castle of Otranto”
• Enlightenment principles in “Persuasion”
• The concept of sensibility in “Sense and Sensibility”
• The epistolary form in “Dangerous Liaisons”
• The critique of colonialism in “Oroonoko”
• Romanticism in the works of Wordsworth and Coleridge
• The depiction of the working class in Dickens’ novels
• The portrayal of women in the Brontë sisters’ works
• The theme of isolation in “Frankenstein”
• The symbolism in Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”
• The role of nature in Thoreau’s “Walden”
• The representation of Paris in Hugo’s “Les Misérables”
• The conflict between passion and reason in “Anna Karenina”
• The exploration of the American South in Twain’s works
• The representation of the Industrial Revolution in literature
• The stream of consciousness technique in Joyce’s “Ulysses”
• The fragmentation of identity in Eliot’s “The Waste Land”
• The depiction of war in Hemingway’s works
• The influence of psychoanalysis on Woolf’s novels
• The depiction of the Lost Generation in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• The role of time in Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury”
• The absurd in Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”
• The theme of alienation in Hesse’s “Steppenwolf”
• The exploration of gender in Barnes’ “Nightwood”
• The use of free indirect discourse in Flaubert’s “Madame Bovary”
• Metafiction in Calvino’s “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler”
• The interplay of history and fiction in Pynchon’s “Gravity’s Rainbow”
• The critique of consumer culture in DeLillo’s “White Noise”
• The use of magic realism in Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
• The postcolonial perspective in Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children”
• The exploration of language in Barth’s “The Sot-Weed Factor”
• The representation of postmodern society in Wallace’s “Infinite Jest”
• The theme of power in Foucault’s works
• The concept of the author in Barthes’ “The Death of the Author”
• The fragmentation of narrative in Auster’s “New York Trilogy”
• The theme of the American Dream in Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”
• The use of dialect in Morrison’s “Beloved”
• The influence of transcendentalism on Emerson’s essays
• The theme of identity in Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
• The depiction of the Great Depression in Steinbeck’s works
• The conflict between individualism and society in Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”
• The representation of the South in O’Connor’s stories
• The influence of race and class in Baldwin’s “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
• The exploration of freedom in Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”
• The theme of disillusionment in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• The role of the supernatural in Shakespeare’s plays
• The depiction of Victorian society in Austen’s novels
• The exploration of morality in Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”
• The theme of madness in Stoker’s “Dracula”
• The influence of the Romantic Movement on Wordsworth’s poetry
• The representation of London in Dickens’ novels
• The critique of colonialism in Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”
• The exploration of the human condition in Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse”
• The theme of social class in Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights”
• The use of symbolism in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
• The exploration of existentialism in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”
• The theme of love and jealousy in Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”
• The representation of the Russian Revolution in Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita”
• The use of magical realism in Gogol’s “The Nose”
• The depiction of war in Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”
• The role of faith in Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov”
• The exploration of freedom in Solzhenitsyn’s “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”
• The theme of rebellion in Turgenev’s “Fathers and Sons”
• The representation of Siberia in Chekhov’s “Sakhalin Island”
• The use of satire in Ilf and Petrov’s “The Twelve Chairs”
• The portrayal of post-colonial society in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• The theme of identity in Coetzee’s “Disgrace”
• The exploration of gender roles in Aidoo’s “Anowa”
• The representation of apartheid in Gordimer’s “July’s People”
• The use of folklore in Tutuola’s “The Palm-Wine Drinkard”
• The depiction of urban life in Mwangi’s “Going Down River Road”
• The theme of corruption in Soyinka’s “King Baabu”
• The portrayal of women in Dangarembga’s “Nervous Conditions”
• The influence of Islam in Salih’s “Season of Migration to the North”
• The exploration of freedom in Ngugi’s “A Grain of Wheat”
• The portrayal of family dynamics in Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club”
• The exploration of historical memory in Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go”
• The theme of spirituality in Tagore’s “Gitanjali”
• The influence of political change in Ha Jin’s “Waiting”
• The depiction of society in Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood”
• The exploration of gender in Adichie’s “Purple Hibiscus”
• The theme of alienation in Lahiri’s “The Namesake”
• The representation of war in Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”
• The portrayal of tradition and change in Roy’s “The God of Small Things”
• The exploration of culture and identity in Jin’s “A Free Life”
• The use of magical realism in Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
• The exploration of totalitarianism in Carpentier’s “The Lost Steps”
• The theme of death in Rulfo’s “Pedro Paramo”
• The influence of indigenous culture in Arguedas’ “Deep Rivers”
• The depiction of urban life in Bolaño’s “The Savage Detectives”
• The theme of revolution in Cortázar’s “Hopscotch”
• The representation of family dynamics in Allende’s “The House of the Spirits”
• The portrayal of political struggle in Neruda’s “Canto General”
• The exploration of time and memory in Borges’ “Ficciones”
• The influence of magical realism in Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera”
• The exploration of gender roles in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
• The theme of independence in Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”
• The influence of society on women in Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own”
• The depiction of family in Morrison’s “Beloved”
• The representation of women’s rights in Chopin’s “The Awakening”
• The portrayal of female resilience in Alcott’s “Little Women”
• The exploration of women’s psyche in Plath’s “The Bell Jar”
• The influence of feminism in Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale”
• The depiction of womanhood in Walker’s “The Color Purple”
• The portrayal of female friendships in Wharton’s “The Age of Innocence”
• The exploration of consciousness in Joyce’s “Ulysses”
• The influence of war on society in Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”
• The representation of fragmented identity in Eliot’s “The Waste Land”
• The influence of industrialization in Lawrence’s “Sons and Lovers”
• The depiction of sexuality in Miller’s “Tropic of Cancer”
• The exploration of existentialism in Kafka’s “The Trial”
• The theme of individualism in Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway”
• The portrayal of colonialism in Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”
• The exploration of language in Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”
• Marxist criticism in “The Grapes of Wrath”
• Psychoanalytic criticism in “Hamlet”
• Feminist criticism in “The Yellow Wallpaper”
• Postcolonial criticism in “Wide Sargasso Sea”
• New Criticism and “The Road Not Taken”
• Queer Theory and “Giovanni’s Room”
• Structuralist criticism and “To the Lighthouse”
• Reader-Response criticism and “Don Quixote”
• Ecocriticism and “The Lorax”
• Postmodern criticism and “Infinite Jest”
• Existentialism in Camus’s “The Stranger”
• Utilitarianism in Dickens’s “Hard Times”
• Transcendentalism in Thoreau’s “Walden”
• Stoicism in Aurelius’s “Meditations”
• Nihilism in Dostoevsky’s “Notes from Underground”
• Absurdism in Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros”
• Idealism in Plato’s “The Republic”
• Empiricism in Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”
• Pragmatism in James’s “Pragmatism”
• Objectivism in Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”
• The reflection of Victorian society in Dickens’s “Great Expectations”
• Critique of American Dream in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
• Race relations in Morrison’s “Beloved”
• Exploration of societal norms in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
• Portrayal of post-war society in Heller’s “Catch-22”
• Examination of social class in Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”
• The influence of societal change in Orwell’s “1984”
• Depiction of colonial society in Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
• Examination of gender roles in Chopin’s “The Awakening”
• Exploration of rural life in Hardy’s “Far From The Madding Crowd”
• The evolution of the fantasy genre in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings”
• The elements of mystery in Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes”
• The origins of science fiction in Shelley’s “Frankenstein”
• The use of horror elements in King’s “The Shining”
• The definition of modern romance in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”
• The impact of dystopian genre in Orwell’s “1984”
• The use of symbolism in the magical realism genre in Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
• The elements of satire in Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”
• The exploration of tragedy in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
• The structure of classic comedy in Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”
• The use of symbolism in works by Virginia Woolf
• Examination of themes across the novels of Toni Morrison
• Influence of historical context on the works of Charles Dickens
• Exploration of narrative style in the works of Ernest Hemingway
• Examination of William Shakespeare’s contribution to English literature
• The influence of personal life on the works of Sylvia Plath
• Comparison of themes across the poetry of Emily Dickinson
• Analysis of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s exploration of human psychology
• Examination of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation and expansion of the fantasy genre
• The influence of postmodernism on the works of Thomas Pynchon

With this comprehensive list of topics across 20 different categories, students can find an array of literature research paper topics that align with their interests and academic objectives.

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Literature and the Range of Research Paper Topics It Offers

Literature is an art form that has the power to convey emotions, evoke feelings, and bring about a change in society. This dynamic nature makes it an ideal subject for research as it encompasses an expansive array of genres, periods, themes, and techniques. In a literature research paper, one can delve into numerous facets of this intricate art form, leading to an extensive range of topics for exploration.

Literature comes in various forms, including novels, short stories, plays, and poems. Each of these forms has unique characteristics, providing ample research paper topics. For instance, one can study the evolution of the novel, the structures and styles of different kinds of poetry, or the distinct elements of drama. Moreover, one can analyze specific works or authors, examining the usage of literary devices, narrative techniques, or character development.

Furthermore, literature is closely tied to culture and history. As a result, it serves as a rich source of information about the societies in which it was created. A literature research paper can explore how different periods in history influenced the literature of the time. Topics in this category can encompass the exploration of themes in specific literary periods such as Romanticism, the Victorian Era, Modernism, or Postmodernism.

Literature also plays a pivotal role in shaping and reflecting societal norms, values, and beliefs. Therefore, one can conduct research on how literature addresses various social issues such as gender, race, class, or power dynamics. For instance, feminist readings of literature, analyses of postcolonial literature, or studies on representation in literature could all make excellent research paper topics.

Moreover, literature is a global phenomenon. Each region has its unique literary traditions, styles, and themes, leading to a wealth of research paper topics. For example, students might choose to study African American literature, Latin American literature, European literature, or Asian literature. They could examine how different cultures and societies influence the narrative structures, themes, and characters in these texts.

Another exciting aspect of literature is its ability to experiment with language and form. Avant-garde movements, such as surrealism or postmodernism, often push the boundaries of what literature can do. In this regard, one could study the evolution of literary styles, the use of innovative narrative structures, or the role of intertextuality in literature.

Not to forget, literature does not operate in isolation. It often interacts with other forms of art and media. For example, research could focus on the adaptation of novels into films, the influence of visual arts on poetry, or the intersection of literature and music.

Finally, theoretical approaches to literature offer a plethora of research paper topics. From structuralism, psychoanalysis, and deconstruction, to reader-response theory, feminist theory, and queer theory, these lenses provide different ways to interpret and understand literature.

In conclusion, the study of literature is vast, spanning across time, geography, forms, and themes. Whether one is interested in specific literary works, authors, themes, periods, or theoretical approaches, literature provides a wide array of research paper topics. Each topic is a gateway to understanding not just the text itself, but also the wider world around us. The study of literature, therefore, is not only an exploration of the text, but also an investigation into human nature, societal structures, and cultural phenomena.

How to Choose Literature Research Paper Topics

Choosing a literature research paper topic can be as intriguing as the study of literature itself. However, with such a vast array of options, it might also seem overwhelming. Here are some tips to guide you through the process of selecting the ideal topic that aligns with your interests and academic requirements.

• Identify Your Area of Interest : Begin by identifying the aspect of literature that fascinates you the most. It could be a specific genre, literary period, author, literary technique, theme, or theoretical approach. Having an interest in your chosen area will fuel your curiosity, making the research process more enjoyable and engaging.
• Familiarity with the Subject : Choose a topic that you are familiar with or willing to learn about. If you select a subject you know little about, make sure you’re ready to spend time understanding its intricacies before you start your research.
• Scope of the Topic : Keep in mind the breadth and depth of the potential topic. While it should be narrow enough to manage within the constraints of your research paper, it should also be broad enough to provide ample material for research.
• Check the Available Resources : Before finalizing the topic, ensure there are enough scholarly resources available for your research. This includes academic articles, books, critical essays, and other primary and secondary sources.
• Relevance to Coursework : Your topic should align with the objectives of your coursework. It’s wise to reflect on what you have learned in your literature classes and try to incorporate that knowledge into your research.
• Unique Perspective : The best research papers offer a fresh perspective or new insight into a text or topic. Try to formulate a topic that allows you to explore an unconventional viewpoint or an understudied aspect of the text.
• Consider the Audience : Keep your audience in mind while choosing your topic. The level of complexity and the angle of your topic might vary depending on whether your audience comprises of your classmates, a panel of professors, or a broader academic community.
• Adaptability : Your topic should be flexible enough to adapt as you delve deeper into your research. It’s common to refine or reframe your research question as you discover new information.
• Interdisciplinary Approach : Consider topics that allow for an interdisciplinary approach. Literature frequently intersects with history, philosophy, psychology, and other disciplines, and these intersections often lead to enriching research.
• Consult with Your Advisor : Always consult with your academic advisor or professor before finalizing your topic. They can provide valuable feedback, guide you towards useful resources, and help you refine your research question.

In conclusion, choosing a literature research paper topic is a thoughtful process that involves introspection, preliminary research, and consultation. Remember, the journey of research is just as important as the destination. The process of choosing your topic, thus, should ignite curiosity and prepare you for the intellectual adventure that is to come. With careful consideration and planning, you can choose a literature research paper topic that is engaging, manageable, and academically rewarding.

How to Write a Literature Research Paper

The journey of crafting a literature research paper is a significant part of a student’s academic voyage. It involves the exploration of themes, characters, contexts, and literary techniques that make up the literary world. Here are ten tips to help you navigate the process of writing a literature research paper:

• Understanding the Assignment : Begin by thoroughly understanding your assignment. Note down the specific requirements regarding the length, format, citation style, and deadline. Make sure you understand the objective of the research paper and what is expected of you.
• Choosing the Topic : As mentioned in the previous section, choosing the right topic is crucial. Make sure your topic aligns with your interest, has ample scholarly resources, and fits the scope of your assignment.
• Preliminary Research and Thesis Statement : Conduct preliminary research to familiarize yourself with your topic. Based on your research, create a clear, concise, and arguable thesis statement. This will act as the backbone of your research paper, guiding your arguments and analysis.
• Creating an Outline : An outline will help you organize your thoughts and arguments systematically. It typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs for each argument or point of analysis, and a conclusion.
• In-Depth Research : Dig deeper into the topic, using a mix of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources in literature often refer to the text(s) you are analyzing, while secondary sources include scholarly articles, essays, and books that comment on these texts.
• Close Reading and Analysis : Engage in a close reading of the primary text(s). Look for symbols, motifs, themes, character development, plot structure, and literary devices. Your analysis of these elements should support your thesis statement.
• Writing the Draft : Start writing your paper based on the outline. Ensure each paragraph has a clear topic sentence and that your arguments are well-supported with evidence from the text(s). Use quotes sparingly and always explain their significance to your argument.
• Citations and Formatting : Follow the citation style specified in your assignment. Properly citing your sources avoids plagiarism and gives credit to the scholars whose work you are building upon. Be consistent with formatting rules related to margins, font size, headers, and footnotes.
• Revising and Editing : Always leave enough time for revising and editing. Revising involves looking at the overall structure, flow, clarity, and strength of your arguments. Editing involves fixing grammatical errors, punctuation, and spelling.
• Peer Review and Feedback : Have a classmate, friend, or mentor review your paper. They can provide fresh insights, point out unnoticed errors, and suggest improvements.

In conclusion, writing a literature research paper is a process that requires patience, diligence, and creativity. While the process may seem daunting, it offers an opportunity to delve deeper into the realm of literature, strengthening your analytical skills and understanding of the text. Remember, writing is a process of exploration and discovery, and every step brings you closer to a rewarding academic achievement.

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Research Areas

The English Faculty’s research embraces language and literature from the 7th-century to ‘global English’ today. While focusing especially on mainstream literary and textual research, it also takes in broadcast media, film and drama, language and linguistics, history of the book, women’s studies and American studies.

Research Seminars

Research Projects

Research Centres

Open Educational Resources

• Dalhousie University Libraries

English Literature

• Research step-by-step
• Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more
• Find articles
• Primary sources
• Recommended websites
• Book reviews
• MLA citation
• Citation management

On this page...

Step 1: choose a topic, step 2: consult reference sources, step 3: grab some books, step 4: search for articles, step 5: collect, read, evaluate, and write what you have learned, step 6: cite your sources.

• Document delivery
• Exercises & training
• Arthurian Literature series
• ENGL 1005: Global Perspective
• ENGL 3301: Graphic Novels This link opens in a new window
• CRWR 4010: Advanced Creative Writing - Poetry I
• ENGL 2232: Contemporary Science Fiction

This page walks you through the basic steps of research. Keep in mind that the research process is actually quite messy, and you might find yourself jumping back and forth between the steps listed here. These steps are meant to orient you to the research process, but you do not necessarily have to follow this exact order:

• Choose a topic
• Consult reference sources
• Grab some books
• Search for articles
• Collect, read, evaluate, and write what you have learned
• Cite your sources

When choosing a topic, keep the following points in mind:

• Choose a topic that ACTUALLY interests you.
• Your topic is not set in stone. Once you start doing some initial research on your topic, you will probably decide to tweak it a bit.
• Pick a topic that is manageable. If your topic is too broad, it will be hard to condense it all into one university paper. But if your topic is too narrow, you may have a hard time finding enough scholarly research for your paper.
• Handout: Choosing a topic Check out this helpful handout on choosing a research topic!

Or, watch this incredibly useful video from North Carolina State University Library on choosing a topic:

When you first get started on a research project, you might not have very much prior knowledge of your topic. In that case, it's a great idea to start with some background information. The most heavily-used reference source in the world is Wikipedia, but as a student you also have access to many other excellent scholarly reference sources.

Jump to the "Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more" page of this guide.

Time to get down to it! Books will help you get an even better handle on your topic. Books provide more in-depth information than reference sources, but are often much better for background information than journal articles. Keep the following in mind:

• Start by registering your Dal card as your library card. Fill out your registration form and bring it to the service desk at the Killam Library, or register online using our online form (this will take about 24 hours to process).
• Use the Novanet library catalogue to search for books on your topic.
• You can access ebooks immediately online; if you find a print book that interests you, write down the call number and visit the stacks!
• Check out this quick video: How to read a call number in 90 seconds
• Remember that in most cases you won't need to read the whole book!
• You may borrow print books for 3 weeks, and renew them twice. To renew books online, start here . Click "Guest," at the top right of the screen, and then "My library card." Log in with your barcode and password. You should see an overview of the books you have checked out, and an option to renew. You can also check out this quick video tutorial on renewing books .  

Jump to the "Find books" page of this guide.

Scholarly journals are specialized journals that publish new research on specialized topics. They are written FOR academics, researchers, and students to keep them aware of new developments in the field. They are written, for the most part, BY academics and researchers who are actively involved with the field of study. You can find scholarly articles in databases that the library subscribes to. Make sure to search in subject-specific databases (such as a history database), as well as multidisciplinary databases that include a wider scope of material.

Jump to the "Find journal articles" page of this guide.

• Handout: Identifying and reading scholarly works New to reading scholarly articles? Check out this helpful handout.

Or, check out this great video from Western Libraries:

Take very careful notes as you read your sources! This will help you trace themes and develop an argument. Check out the following two videos on writing a research paper, and make an appointment at the Dalhousie Writing Centre if you would like assistance with your writing.

• Dalhousie Writing Centre: Make an appointment
• Video tutorial: Writing a research paper, Part 1
• Writing Research Papers Part 2 Draft -- Revise -- Proof read -- References

Very important! When you use somebody else's words or ideas in your academic papers, you must to give credit to the original source. This is one of the reasons why keeping good notes is so important to the research process.

Jump to the MLA Citation page of this guide.

• << Previous: Citation management
• Next: Document delivery >>
• Last Updated: Oct 3, 2024 10:12 AM
• URL: https://dal.ca.libguides.com/English

• Harvard Library
• Research Guides
• Faculty of Arts & Sciences Libraries

Literature: A Research Guide for Graduate Students and Faculty

• Get Started
• Find a Database
• Research Dos & Don'ts

Welcome! This guide is maintained by Odile Harter , the library liaison to the departments of Comparative Literature and English. Here you'll find:

Get Started - a to-do list for new graduate students

Find a Database - how to locate the best search engines for your field or project

Research Dos & Don'ts - tips to help you be productive and efficient

All of which supplement Literary Research in Harvard Libraries , where you will find my favorite tools and strategies to:

• Get Organized - access, organize, and cite
• Find Background - from simple encyclopedia entries to detailed guides and histories
• Find Scholarship and Criticism - top sources and search strategies
• Literary Theory - deceptively tricky to search for!
• Foreign Language Literatures - if you're working with languages other than English

Odile Harter

Research & Pedagogy Librarian

Email Odile

• Next: Get Started >>

Except where otherwise noted, this work is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , which allows anyone to share and adapt our material as long as proper attribution is given. For details and exceptions, see the Harvard Library Copyright Policy ©2021 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Researching Literature and Libraries

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Researching Literature

Literary scholarship resembles other disciplines in many ways, and the general research strategies remain useful for English students. Remember that, like any other field, there is always growth and change as innovations in reading, historical discoveries, and technological advancements are made. When you research, try to gain an understanding of recent developments in the field.

The traditional depository of information, the library remains an essential part of any student’s research. Remember: the internet can take you only so far. These are some suggestions for entering the library with a literature paper in mind.

Other reserach resources can be found in the Research and Citation and the Internet Literacy areas on the Purdue OWL

The position of librarian requires great technical skill and significant learning. Knowing when to seek a librarian’s assistance is the mark of a wise student.

When to use: trouble with keyword searches, access to microfilm and microfiche, further research

Inter-Library Loan (ILL)

While most colleges and universities pride themselves in their book collections, the chances are great that at some point you will need a book from another library. Make yourself familiar with the inter-library loan system of your university as soon as possible and do not be hesitant to use it.

When to use: after searching a database (like the MLA), when your library has little or no scholarship on the author you’re reading.

Remember to bring: plenty of time (The turnaround is quick, but not instantaneous: something you may not have as a deadline approaches.)

Often held in a separate section of the library, literary journals are the headlines of scholarship in the field. This is where you’ll find the most recent work being done on your chosen text.

A list of important journals:

• General: PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association of America , Book Reviews
• Medieval: Florilegium , Medieval Studies , Studies in the Age of Chaucer
• Renaissance: Shakespeare Quarterly , Renaissance Quarterly
• Restoration and 18th Century: British Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies , Eighteenth-Century Studies
• 19th Century: Victorian Poetry , Nineteenth-Century Literature
• 20th Century to Present: Modern Fiction Studies , Studies in Short Fiction
• American Studies: American Literary History , American Literature , Sewanee Review

Literature often appears in various editions. This is doubly true for older and/or famous works. These various editions can provide further information and the library is a good place to examine them. Especially helpful if you can find them are the Norton Critical Editions of important texts which combine thorough annotation with a breadth of scholarly viewpoints.

When to use: reading a work in translation, reading a text that has multiple versions, reading a text that has been adapted for modern English.

Remember to bring: Note-taking tools. If you like the way a certain edition presents or translates a given text, you will need to cite it properly if you decide to use it in your paper.

Publication Catalogues, Dictionaries, and Encyclopedias

The Modern Language Association, along with several other groups, regularly publishes a catalogue of scholarship released in the preceding year. Several dictionaries and encyclopedias provide information specific to time periods, genres, and regions of history and literature. As long as you remember that these works are meant to provide general knowledge to facilitate further investigation, they are wonderful places to start.

Useful Dictionaries and Manuals:

• A Handbook to Literature, (English majors should think seriously about purchasing this book.)
• Literary Research Guide ,
• Oxford English Dictionary
• A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory
• Topical Dictionaries (i.e. dictionaries focused on a specific time period or theme: The Middle English Dictionary for example.)

Useful Catalogues:

• Golden Tree Bibliographies
• The Year’s Work in English Studies
• American Humanities Index

Useful Encyclopedias:

• The Catholic Encyclopedia
• The Encyclopedia of World Theater
• The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics
• Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia
• Cambridge Guide to Literature in English

Researching on the Internet

With every passing year, more and more tools for research in English become available online. Here are some of the most useful:

• JSTOR: A collection of articles and essays in PDF format.
• MLA Database: The primary research tool for finding literary scholarship. This site should be your first stop on the way to inter-library loan.
• OED Online: The dictionary in searchable database form

A number of Purdue OWL resources will help you with research on the Internet.

• Hirsh Health Sciences
• Webster Veterinary

English Literature: Resources for Graduate Research

• Articles on Your Topic
• Books on Literary History, Theory, Criticism & More

Find Primary Texts in Print

Primary texts in library databases & research guides, primary texts on the web.

• Literature Reviews
• Historic Newspapers & More
• Reviews, Essays & More
• English & the Digital Humanities
• How to Find Cited Material
• Citing Your Sources This link opens in a new window
• Getting Items that Tufts Doesn't Own
• Copyright & Publication This link opens in a new window

Primary Source Research

For graduate students in English, primary sources can be defined as original works of literature as well as contemporary accounts of that literature, letters written by authors, newspaper accounts of their publication, and much more.

The resources on this page include online access to a wide array of primary sources, including pamphlets and ephemera, which can help researchers to gain a better understanding of the time and place in which a work of literature was created.

Primary Sources in Print

In addition to the literature itself, the library's collection includes a significant number of primary sources such as letters, diaries, and much more. Use JumboSearch to locate these print materials in the library's collection. Below is a sample of the kind of material you can find. 

Are you looking for a primary text in English, such as a novel, poem, short story, or play?  Use the JumboSearch box to locate print resources in the library. You can also find digitized primary texts in library databases and on the web on this page.

Search by Keyword, Title, Subject, or Creator

The resources in this section include a wide variety of primary sources such as original novels, poems, plays, short stories, and much more.

• Early English Books Online Over 125,000 titles listed in Pollard & Redgrave's Short-Title Catalogue (1475-1640), Wing's Short-Title Catalogue (1641-1700), and the Thomason Tracts (1640-1661), comprising all known English language books from the beginning of printing to 1700.
• Early American imprints. Series I, Evans (1639-1800) An online collection reproducing every extant book, pamphlet, and broadside published in America from 1639 to 1819 - the complete printed, non-serial source materials of American culture for the 17th and 18th centuries.
• Early American imprints. Series II, Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801-1819 Books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints listed in the distinguished bibliography by Ralph R. Shaw and Richard H. Shoemaker
• Eighteenth Century Collections Online A comprehensive digital edition of The Eighteenth Century microfilm set, which has aimed to include every significant English-language and foreign-language title printed in the United Kingdom, along with thousands of important works from the Americas, between 1701 and 1800. Consists of books, pamphlets, broadsides, ephemera. Subject categories include history and geography; fine arts and social sciences; medicine, science, and technology; literature and language; religion and philosophy; law; general reference. Also included are significant collections of women writers of the eighteenth century, collections on the French Revolution, and numerous eighteenth-century editions of the works of Shakespeare. Where they add scholarly value or contain important differences, multiple editions of each individual work are offered.
• European Literature, 1790-1840: The Corvey Collection This collection contains over 2 million printed pages of English-language works, many of them comprising multiple volumes, and constitutes one of the most important collections of British Romantic-era writing in existence anywhere.
• Nineteenth Century British Fiction Online Created by Jennifer Ferguson, Team Lead for Arts & Humanities at Tisch Library, this resource includes links to digitized versions of important works by key authors during the Long Nineteenth Century. Along with the current canonical works, the resource includes additional titles by each author as well as bibliographies, contextual information, and much more.
• 19th century British pamphlets collection via JSTOR Digital primary source collection of more than 20,000 pamphlets digitized from research universities in the United Kingdom. A wide range of topics are covered, focusing on political and economic life in 19th century Britain. While the bulk of the collection is from the 19th century, there are some pamphlets included going back to 1545.
• Play Index Play Index provides citations to over 30,000 plays written or translated into English, from Antiquity to the present, published in collections since 1949: one-act plays, pageants, plays in verse, radio and television plays, and classic drama. It includes links to the full text of plays if available on the web.
• The Rise of Gothic Fiction in England & the United States Created by Jennifer Ferguson, Team Lead for Arts & Humanities at Tisch Library, this resource includes links to digitized versions of important works of Gothic Fiction published in England and the United States from the Eighteenth to Early-Twentieth Centuries. The resource includes each author's most important contributions to the Gothic as well as bibliographies, contextual information, and much more.
• Short Story Index Index to short stories from a variety of magazines. Indexing from 1915-present; select full-text from 1994. Entries feature links to other works by the author and other stories in the source collection.
• Short Story Index Retrospective Contains more than 140,000 short stories from some 350 periodicals and collections of short stories, and cites short stories published over 150 years.
• Twentieth-Century American Poetry Provides full-text access to approximately 50,000 poems by over 300 American poets. Search by author, keyword, title, first line, dates, publisher, gender, or literary movement.
• Twentieth Century North American Drama Full texts of 1,900 plays from the United States and Canada, of which 1,250 are in copyright and licensed from the authors or their estates.
• Women Writers Online A full-text collection of works written by women, in English or in English translation, before 1850.
• Slavery & Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive Digital primary source collection made up of four parts, Part I: Debates over Slavery and Abolition; Part II: Slave Trade in the Atlantic World; Part III: Institution of Slavery; Part IV: Age of Emancipation. Includes digitized books, pamphlets, newspapers, periodicals, manuscripts, private papers, and letters touching on all aspects of historical slavery.
• Gale Primary Sources Gale Primary Sources combines a number of primary source collections in the humanities and social sciences to allow for research across several centuries and millions of pages of newspapers, books, manuscripts, maps, and photographs.
• HathiTrust Digital Library HathiTrust is a large-scale collaborative repository with over 10 million volumes including content digitized via the Google Books project, Internet Archive, and by local libraries. Public domain content is full-text; non-public domain content (post-1923) is for full-text searching only. Since Tufts is a member, those with a Tufts login can download the pdf of pre-1923 materials and can build a personal collection. To login select Collections, then select login from the upper right; choose Tufts University and login using your Tufts username and password.
• Shakespeare's Globe Archive Shakespeare's Globe holds archival material relating to all of the plays produced at the Globe since 1996 and other records documenting the origins and development of the project to build the present Globe on Bankside. This catalogue contains overall descriptions of each of these collections, as well as more detailed file-level records where these exist.
• Parker Library on the Web Corpus Christi College and the Stanford University Libraries welcome you to Parker Library on the Web, a digital exhibit designed to support use and study of the manuscripts in the historic Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The Parker Library is a treasure trove of rare medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, as well as early printed books. Almost all manuscripts in the Parker Library collection have been fully digitised and are available in this exhibit, along with associated bibliographic references and annotations made by scholars from around the world.
• African American Women Writers of the 19th Century Digital collection of some 52 published works by 19th-Century black women writers. This collection provides access to the thought, perspectives, and creative abilities of black women as captured in books and pamphlets published prior to 1920.
• British Women Romantic Poets, 1789-1832 The British Women Romantic Poets Project is a digital initiative of the UC Davis General Library.
• Discovering Literature Discovering Literature brings to life the social, political and cultural context in which key works of literature were written. Enjoy digitised treasures from the British Library's collection, newly commissioned articles, short documentary films, and teacher's notes. Includes thousands of key titles, along with contextual information, representing periods from the Medieval to the 20th Century.
• Evans Early American Imprint Collection This project transcribes and encodes the page images of books from ProQuest’s Early English Books Online, Gale Cengage’s Eighteenth Century Collections Online, and Readex’s Evans Early American Imprints. This work, and the resulting text files, are jointly funded and owned by more than 150 libraries worldwide. Ultimately, all of the TCP’s work will be placed into the public domain for anyone to use. The texts can be searched through web interfaces provided by the libraries at the University of Michigan and University of Oxford.
• Representative Poetry Online Hosted by the University of Toronto Libraries, Representative Poetry Online is a web anthology of 4,800 poems in English and French by over 700 poets spanning 1400 years.
• Internet Archive Internet Archive is a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, and much more.
• Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg offers over 36,000 free ebook versions of titles in the public domain to download to your PC, Kindle, Android, iOS or other portable device. Choose between ePub, Kindle, HTML and simple text formats.
• Westminster Detective Library It is the mission of the Westminster Detective Library to catalog and make available online all the short fiction dealing with detectives and detection published in the United States before Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “A Scandal in Bohemia” (1891).
• Reading Europe: European Culture through the book The "Reading Europe: European culture through the book" exhibition offers a rare opportunity to view some of the hidden literary gems from the national libraries of Europe. Twenty-three countries have selected nearly a thousand works for the public to peruse. Visitors can discover everything from 18th century English bestsellers to the lost interiors of Russian palaces, all presented in an innovative and multilingual form.
• LibriVox LibriVox audiobooks are free for anyone to listen to on their computers, iPods or other mobile device, or to burn onto a CD. Titles on LibriVox are in the public domain and include a wide array of classic literature.
• << Previous: Books on Literary History, Theory, Criticism & More
• Next: Literature Reviews >>
• Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024 2:46 PM
• URL: https://researchguides.library.tufts.edu/EnglishGraduateResources

Department of English and Related Literature

PhD in English and Related Literature

Work in an intellectually invigorating environment and be supported by supervisors who are experts in their field.

Be inspired to reach your research ambitions in an intellectual and supportive community at the forefront of English research.

Your research

The diversity of our staff’s research interests means that we are well-positioned to supervise research in any field of literature, from the Middle Ages to the present day, including literature in languages other than English, and literary works in translation.

We also have distinctive expertise in practice-led teaching and research, including archival work and printing. The PhD in English and Related Literature is available on a full-time or part-time basis.

Under the guidance of your supervisor, you'll complete a thesis of up to 80,000 words. A typical semester will involve a great deal of independent research, punctuated by meetings with your supervisor who will be able to suggest direction and address concerns throughout the writing process. You'll be encouraged to undertake periods of research at archives and potentially internationally, depending on your research thesis.

Throughout your degree, you'll have the opportunity to attend a wide range of research training sessions in order to learn archival and research skills, and a range of research seminars organised by the research schools, which bring speakers from around the world for research talks and networking. There is also internal funding available if you wish to propose research events and symposia/conferences.

[email protected] +44 (0) 1904 323366

Related links

• How to apply
• Research degree funding
• Accommodation
• International students
• Life at York

You also have the option of enrolling in a PhD in English by distance learning, where you will have the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. You will attend the Research Training Programme online in your first year and have supervision and progression meetings online.

You must attend a five-day induction programme in York at the beginning of your first year. You will also visit York in your second and third years (every other year for part-time students).

Apply for PhD in English and Related Literature (distance learning)

Top ten department

We're a top ten research department according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

35th in the world

for English Language and Literature in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023.

Athena Swan Silver

We're proud to hold an Athena Swan Silver award in recognition of the work we do to support gender equality in English.

Explore funding for postgraduate researchers in the Department of English and Related Literature.

Supervision

Explore the expertise of our staff and identify a potential supervisor.

Research training

You'll receive training in research methods and skills appropriate to the stage you've reached and the nature of your work. In addition to regular supervisory meetings to discuss planning, researching and writing the thesis, we offer sessions on bibliographic and archival resources (digital, print and manuscript). You'll receive guidance in applying to and presenting at professional conferences, preparing and submitting material for publication and applying for jobs. We meet other training needs in handling research data, various modern languages, palaeography and bibliography. Classical and medieval Latin are also available.

We also offer training in teaching skills for students who wish to pursue teaching posts following their degree. This includes sessions on the delivery and content of seminars and workshops to undergraduates, a structured shadowing programme, teaching inductions and comprehensive guidance and resources for our graduate teaching assistants. Our teacher training is directed by a dedicated staff member.

You'll also benefit from the rich array of research and training sessions at the Humanities Research Centre .

Course location

This course is run by the Department of English and Related Literature.

You'll be based on  Campus West , though your research may take you further afield.

We also have a distance learning option available for this course.

Entry requirements

For doctoral research, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve a first-class or high upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualification) and a Masters degree with distinction. 

The undergraduate and Masters degrees should be in literature, or in a related subject that is closely tied to the proposed research project. 

Other relevant experience and expertise is taken into account:

• Relevant professional experience can be outlined in your personal statement and/or a CV if you choose to include one.
• You are welcome to include a narrative description of relevant life experiences in your personal statement. This might include caring responsibilities, career breaks, barriers you have faced, and declaring your belonging to an under-represented group if you wish.
• It is expected that postgraduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor.
• Publications are not required and we don't expect applicants to have been published before they start their research degree.

Take a look at the supporting documents you may need for your application. These include two recent samples of your written work .

Before applying, we advise you to identify a potential supervisor in the department. Preliminary enquiries are welcomed and should be made as early as possible. Please email one member of staff at a time, after checking that their research expertise matches your project. Emailing several staff members at a time regardless of the relationship between their research interests and yours means that you are unlikely to find a good supervisory match. 

If it's not clear which member of staff is appropriate, you should email the Graduate Chair .

Apply for the PhD in English and Related Literature

Students embarking on a PhD programme are initially enrolled provisionally for that qualification. Confirmation of PhD registration is dependent upon the submission of a satisfactory proposal that meets the standards required for the degree, usually in the second year of study.

Find out more about how to apply .

English language requirements

You'll need to provide evidence of your proficiency in English if it's not your first language.

Check your English language requirements

Research proposals

In order to apply for a PhD, we ask that you submit a research proposal as part of your application.

Typically, PhD proposals are between 1,000 and 1,500 words. We kindly ask applicants not to exceed 1,500 words including referencing. You’ll also need to provide a short summary of your research proposal between 250 and 350 words in length.

When making your application, you're advised to make your research proposal as specific and clear as possible. Please indicate the member(s) of staff that you'd wish to work with.

Your research proposal should:

• Identify the precise topic of your topic and communicate the main aim of your research.
• Provide a rigorous and thorough description of your proposed research, including the contributions you will make to current scholarly conversations and debates.
• Describe any previous work you have done in this area, with reference to relevant literature you have read so far.
• Communicate the central sources that the project will address and engage.
• Offer an outline of the argument’s main claims and contributions. Give a clear indication of the authors and texts that your project will address.
• Give a clear indication of the authors and texts that your project will address.
• Include the academic factors, such as university facilities, libraries resources, centres, other resources, and / or staff, which have specifically led you to apply to York.

What we look for:

• How you place your topic in conversation with the scholarly landscape: what has already been accomplished and what you plan to achieve in your project. This is your chance to show that you have a good understanding of the relevant work on your topic and that you have identified a new way or research question to approach the topic.
• Your voice as a scholar and critical thinker. In clean, clear prose, show those who will assess your application how your proposal demonstrates your original thinking and the potential of your research.
• Your fit with York, including the reasons for wanting to work with your supervisor and relevant research schools and centres.
• Above all, remember that there isn’t one uniform way to structure and arrange your research proposal, and that your approach will necessarily reflect your chosen topic.

The core deciding factor for admission is the quality of the research proposal, though your whole academic profile will be taken into account. We are committed to ensuring that no prospective or existing student is treated less favourably. See our  admissions policy  for more information.

There are several stages in the Postgraduate Research admissions process:

First, your application will be reviewed by admissions teams centrally to check that it is complete. 

Second, your application will be reviewed by staff in the Department to check that it fulfils our entry requirements. The quality of supporting documents such as your two writing samples will be considered, along with the quality, relevance and potential of your research proposal, which will be evaluated against the guidelines on research proposals published above. 

Third, if those checks have been passed and if we have the capacity to supervise your project, you will be invited to an interview to ensure a good supervisory match. The interview will be conversational and relaxed, but it is a formal part of the selection process.

This interview will last approximately 30-40 minutes and is likely to be online. Alternatives to an online meeting can be made available if requested. You can request reasonable adjustments, owing to a disability or caring commitments, for example. You will be interviewed by two members of staff. 

The core interview questions might include the following:

•     What inspired your proposed research topic/project?
•     Which part of your research project are you most looking forward to? Why?
•     Are there experiences in your previous studies, or broader life experiences, which you feel have prepared you for postgraduate research? How?
•     What are your motivations for undertaking postgraduate research in this Department? 
•     Is there anything you’d like to ask about postgraduate study in the Department of English and Related Literature?

These sample questions account for the fact that, at this stage, it is normal to be unsure about what your actual project will look like in practice. Your interviewers may ask you follow-up questions if anything is unclear to them, including questions about your research proposal and proposed research area.  PhD applicants may also be asked about their funding application plans, to enable staff to provide appropriate support if need be.

You will be notified of the Department’s decision after the interview. 

If your application is rejected at this stage or at an earlier stage, this does not necessarily mean that your research proposal is not of good quality. Sometimes, we have to regretfully decline good applications, because the project is not aligned with the research expertise we can offer or because the academic staff who could supervise your project are at maximum capacity with PGR supervision and cannot take on more projects at present.

If your application is accepted, we very much hope that you will accept our offer. We will be delighted to welcome you to our research community when you join us! 

Careers and skills

• You'll receive support in applying to and presenting at professional conferences, preparing and submitting material for publication and applying for jobs.
• You'll benefit from training in handling research data, various modern languages, palaeography and bibliography. Classical and medieval Latin are also available. The   Humanities Research Centre   also offers a rich array of valuable training sessions.
• We also offer training in teaching skills if you wish to pursue a teaching post following your degree. This includes sessions on the delivery and content of seminars and workshops to undergraduates, a structured shadowing programme, teaching inductions and comprehensive guidance and resources for our graduate teaching assistants.
• You'll have the opportunity to further your training by taking courses accredited by Advance HE:   York Learning and Teaching Award (YLTA)   and the   York Professional and Academic Development scheme (YPAD) .

Find out more about careers

Discover York

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Discover more about our researchers, facilities and why York is the perfect choice for your research degree.

Graduate Research School

Connect with researchers across all disciplines to get the most out of your research project.

Find a supervisor

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Find out all you need to know about applying to York

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