JIMS Rohini recently invited Dr. Namita Rajput, Professor, Delhi University for conducting a session titled ‘From Curiosity to Contribution: How to think like a Researcher’ with its FPM research scholars. Dr. Namita started the session by highlighting that a strong research foundation begins with extensive and disciplined reading. She emphasized that such consistent engagement with academic literature helps scholars build conceptual clarity, identify arguments within the field, and understand the evolution of knowledge over time. In this context, a structured approach to literature review was strongly recommended by her. The session further highlighted the importance of research rigor.
Scholars were advised not to rely on a single method but they should keep themselves open to supplementing one technique with another to strengthen their proposed research. Identifying trends and patterns
in the literature was another critical aspect that was discussed. Further, scholars were encouraged to track developments over time, conduct year-wise analysis, and examine longitudinal trends.
The session also had elaborate discussion on practical strategies for sourcing literature. Researchers were encouraged to dedicate focused time exclusively on searching and organizing papers. After a thorough reading of each study, maintaining detailed notes was recommended to capture important insights, methodologies, and findings. Moreover, scholars were provided guidelines on dividing the literature into thematic categories that helps in organizing knowledge systematically and supports the development of a coherent review.
Overall, the session was highly insightful and focused on guiding scholars toward conducting a rigorous, systematic, and meaningful review of literature. It underscored that systematic reading, critical analysis, thematic organization, and theory-driven synthesis are essential for producing impactful research. The insights gained from the session will significantly aid research scholars in strengthening their research work and in developing a deeper understanding of their chosen field.