As a researcher, it is often easy to lose your goal during research as you become exposed to more knowledge. The staggering amount of sources that are available for study can at times seem overwhelming, and against this vastness, it is unsurprising that researchers eventually lose sight of their original scope for the project. I can relate to this all too well, as a constant struggle for me is limiting the research I’ve done to a measly 1500 words.
However, in Griffey and Munn’s lecture on their study of beauty culture during the renaissance, it is clear that narrowing the scope of research is beneficial rather than detrimental for understanding the topic. According to both Griffey and Munn, focusing on a ‘subset’ allows the researcher to examine that specific area of the topic in much greater depth and detail. In the process, it both provides the researcher with a greater understanding of the broader topic, as well as giving the researcher the opportunity to discover possible gaps in existing knowledge that they could fill. This sentiment of challenging and correcting knowledge is analogous to what was discussed by Frost.
Furthermore, by only looking at the topic as a whole, there is a much greater chance of simply regurgitating existing knowledge, rather than contributing something new to the field, which is one of the aims of academia.
This lecture was both enlightening and beneficial for me as a burgeoning academic, as Griffey and Munn demonstrate first-hand how shifting your focus to a subset strengthens, rather than weakens, your project.
