Literary Research & Methodology

Section Overview: This section from the Dec 2025 exam tests your knowledge of Research Methodology, MLA/APA Styles, and Ethical Research Practices.

Q86. Arrange the following list of the authors according to MLA Handbook 9th edition for parenthetical citations and works-cited-list entries:
Rita Charon, Sayantani Dasgupta, Nellie Hermann, Craig Irvine, Eric R. Marcus, Edger Rivera Colon, Danielle Spencer, Maura Spiegel.
  • 1. Charon, Rita. and Dasgupta. et al.
  • 2. Charon, Rita, et al.
  • 3. Charon, Rita and Dasgupta, Hermann, Irvine, Marcus, Colon, Spencer, Spiegel.
  • 4. Rita Charon and others.
Correct Answer: 2. Charon, Rita, et al.

Explanation:

The MLA Handbook (9th Edition) has a specific rule for sources with three or more authors:

  • The Rule: You must list only the first author's name followed by "et al." (Latin for "and others").
  • Format: Surname, First Name, et al.
  • Application: Since there are 8 authors here, we list only Rita Charon.

Why this question is asked in UGC NET English:

This tests your knowledge of Academic Integrity and current standards.

  • Standardisation: MLA is the international standard for literary research. The exam tests if you are updated with the latest (9th) edition rather than outdated rules.
  • Technical Precision: Research questions are objective. They test attention to detail, such as the correct placement of periods and commas.

Why other options are wrong:

  • Option 1: Incorrectly lists two authors. MLA 9th edition never lists two authors if there are three or more total.
  • Option 3: Lists all authors. This was allowed in older editions (like the 7th) but is strictly forbidden in the 9th edition for brevity.
  • Option 4: Uses "and others" instead of "et al." and fails to invert the name (Surname first).
Q87. Which of the following in-text citations is incorrect?
  • 1. Others note that doctors have not yet adequately explained the effects climate change will have on human health (Lemery and Auerbach 4-5).
  • 2. According to Naomi Baron, reading is "just half of literacy. The other half is writing" (Baron 194).
  • 3. According to Gao Xingjian, “Literature in essence is divorced from utility” (7).
  • 4. The author knew Bureau de la Rivière, another of Charles V’s executors (Christine 192).
Correct Answer: 2

Explanation:

The citation in Option 2 is Incorrect due to the Signal Phrase Rule in MLA style.

The Rule: If you mention the author's name in the sentence (a "Signal Phrase"), you do not repeat it in the parenthesis. You only put the page number.
  • The Error: The sentence says "According to Naomi Baron...". Therefore, the citation should be (194), not (Baron 194).

Why this question is asked in UGC NET English:

The UGC NET is a qualifying exam for PhD entry. This question ensures you can write a "clean" manuscript.

  • Redundancy Check: It tests if you understand the principle of Conciseness in academic writing. Repeating the name is redundant.
  • Attention to Detail: In literary research, the difference between a correct and incorrect citation often rests on avoiding redundancy.

Why the other options are Correct:

  • Option 1: Authors are not named in the text, so both names are required in the parenthesis.
  • Option 3: Author (Gao Xingjian) is named in the text, so only the page number (7) is used. This follows the rule Option 2 violated.
  • Option 4: Author is not named in the text, so the name is required in the parenthesis.
Q88. Match the List I with List II:

LIST-I (Source)
A. Bartleby
B. Project Muse
C. WorldCat
D. Shodhganga

LIST-II (Types of Research Material)
I. World's largest bibliographic database
II. A repository of theses
III. A range of verse and fiction
IV. Full Text research article
  • 1. A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II
  • 2. A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV
  • 3. A-III, B-II, C-I, D-IV
  • 4. A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
Correct Answer: 1. A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II

Explanation:

This question tests your knowledge of essential Digital Research Tools:

  • A. Bartleby (III): A digital archive providing free access to classic literature, poetry, and reference works (Verse and Fiction).
  • B. Project Muse (IV): A leading provider of digital humanities content, hosting Full-Text scholarly journals and books.
  • C. WorldCat (I): Operated by OCLC, this is the World's Largest Bibliographic Database, itemizing collections from thousands of libraries globally.
  • D. Shodhganga (II): The Indian repository for Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD), maintained by INFLIBNET.

Why this question is asked in UGC NET English:

The syllabus now emphasizes Digital Information Literacy. A modern researcher must know:

  • Resource Awareness: You cannot rely solely on physical libraries; you must know digital gateways.
  • Efficiency: Knowing the difference between a catalog (WorldCat) and a full-text archive (Project Muse) saves research time.
  • Indian Scholarship: Awareness of Shodhganga is mandatory for any PhD aspirant in India.
Q89. Arrange the following in chronological order of their appearance in the format of a thesis:

A. Bibliography
B. Introduction
C. Conclusion
D. Table of Contents
E. Preface
  • 1. E, D, B, C, A
  • 2. E, B, C, D, A
  • 3. D, B, C, A, E
  • 4. D, B, A, C, E
Correct Answer: 1. E, D, B, C, A

Explanation:

The standard academic protocol for a thesis or dissertation divides the work into three main sections: Front Matter, Body, and Back Matter.

  • 1. Preface (E): (Front Matter) Author's personal note, acknowledgments, and scope. Comes before the content.
  • 2. Table of Contents (D): (Front Matter) The roadmap listing chapters and page numbers.
  • 3. Introduction (B): (Body) The start of the main research, establishing the hypothesis.
  • 4. Conclusion (C): (Body) The end of the main research, summarizing findings.
  • 5. Bibliography (A): (Back Matter) The list of works cited, appearing at the very end.

Why this question is asked in UGC NET English:

This evaluates your Professional Readiness for a PhD program.

  • Architecture of the Thesis: The exam ensures future researchers follow the standard conventions of "Front Matter, Body, and Back Matter."
  • Logical Sequencing: It tests your ability to organize information logically, a core skill for any critic.

Why other options are wrong:

  • Option 2: Puts the Introduction before the Table of Contents (impossible, as TOC must index the Introduction).
  • Option 3: Places Preface at the end (Preface means "to speak before").
  • Option 4: Places Bibliography in the middle; it must always be in the Back Matter.
Q90. In 1832, at the end of what is now called the Romantic age, Samuel Taylor Coleridge described "three silent revolutions in England". Identify the wrong option.
  • 1. When the Professions fell off from the Church
  • 2. When the fraternity fell off from the society
  • 3. When Literature fell off from the Professions
  • 4. When the Press fell off from Literature
Correct Answer: 2. When the fraternity fell off from the society

Explanation:

The statement in Option 2 is the Incorrect one (and thus the answer). Coleridge did not describe a "fraternity falling off from society."

The "Three Silent Revolutions" Coleridge described were:

  1. Professions from the Church: Lawyers and doctors became secular, no longer tied to the clergy (The fragmentation of the "Clerisy").
  2. Literature from the Professions: "Literature" became a specialized commercial career rather than a shared pursuit of all educated men.
  3. The Press from Literature: Journalism (The Fourth Estate) split away from high-culture literary production, creating a divide between "mass media" and "art."

Why this question is asked in UGC NET English:

This is a high-level question on Intellectual History and the Historiography of Literature.

  • The 1832 Pivot: 1832 is a monumental year (Great Reform Act, death of Scott & Goethe). It marks the shift from Romanticism to the Victorian era.
  • Formation of Discipline: It tests if you understand how "Literature" formed as a distinct subject—it wasn't always a separate career!
🎯 Exam Point: Coleridge's prose works like Table Talk and Biographia Literaria are just as important for the exam as his poetry (Kubla Khan, Rime of the Ancient Mariner).
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