The first volume of this kind, Research Methods for English Studies introduces final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students taking Masters degrees or PhDs to a range of research methods deployed in the study of English, particularly for the periods of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The book covers methods familiar to many English scholars. It also encourages creative engagement with less familiar research methods in English in order to stimulate innovative research and encourage debate about research in the discipline. Bringing together a range of distinguished contributors, each chapter focuses on one particular method, offering both concrete practical advice on how to utilise it and exploring some of the methodological issues that are involved in the use of that particular method. These methods include textual analysis, auto/biographical methods, discourse analysis, interviewing, visual methodologies, archival methods, quantitative analysis, ethnographic methods, oral history, creative writing as a research method, and the uses of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in research in English. Key Features:* Offers practical advice as well as methodological discussions for each method* Includes chapters on innovative areas such as creative writing, ICT and ethnographic methods* Provides concrete examples of how methods might be used in English research* Responds to AHRB's drive for explicit and mandatory research training for postgraduates

Most criticism of The Lord of the Rings trilogy emphasizes the most likely heroes in the tales: Aragorn, Frodo, Gandalf, and even Sam. From popular to scholarly literature, the women and smaller characters often go overlooked. But our notions of what makes a hero have altered since September 11, and sometimes the most unlikely people can come to embody all that we look up to and admire in a person. Here, Lynnette Porter examines what we mean when we talk about heroes, and for the first time illustrates the heroic qualities that can be found in the women and other beloved, though less-celebrated, characters in the The Lord of the Rings books and movies. She takes a critical look at the importance of literary and cinematic heroes in general, emphasizing the roles of Merry, Pippin, Galadriel, Eowyn, Arwen, Legolas, and Gimli, who can all be considered heroes despite their relatively smaller roles. She shows, ultimately, that our attraction to and celebration of heroes does not have to be limited to the leading man, but rather that women and youth often display essential characteristics of true heroes. Bringing together a discussion of both the books and the movies, Porter reveals for readers the heroic nature of several characters in The Lord of the Rings who have been ignored in terms of their status as heroes. Nevertheless, these female and youthful characters have received incredible popular acclaim and illustrate the shift in the way the Western movie-going public identifies and glorifies heroes. While other stars may have outshone the likes of Merry and Pippin, Arwen and Galadriel, Porter redirects the spotlight on these favorites of the books and movies to show us how the roles they play, the actions they take, and the behaviors they display are worthy of our praise and admiration. This unique and refreshing perspective adds dimension to our understanding of The Lord of the Rings phenomenon.