Thinking and Doing Research in English:
Myths, Realities and Challenges
Nasir Jamal Khattak, PhD (Amherst)
Research is tricky, illusive, rewarding, "difficult," and "easy" to do. It is tricky and illusive because most of us undertake it without proper guidance and training; we do it in a rush. Haste is one thing that we cannot afford in research. A little from here; a little from there; coupled with these is what we say and we should have a research paper, thesis, or dissertation ready. In a way, more or less that is what research is all about. However, there is a method to the madness of research. And that is precisely what makes research difficult but rewarding. It not only contributes to the body of knowledge and discourse that is there in the area in which we research it also helps us further our professional career. Most people not only do research, they have their work published too. So what is it that these people do and we do not? Where do we go wrong and how do we look for a "researchable" topic? Can we find a "good" topic? And what is a "good topic" anyway? How do we find one? And how do we go about it? And how about doing research in English Literature or Linguistics? Is there any difference between the two? How do we bridge the cultural gap? How do we "read" the text analytically to develop an argument? What do I look for in a text? How do we develop a theoretic framework?