Final List of Selected Participants

Research Methodology Workshop 2025
Venue: Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan, Trivandrum

Dates: 19–21 May 2025

Exploring Methods, Sources, and Contemporary Trends in Historical Research

The Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) is pleased to announce a three-day residential Research Methodology Workshop, to be held in Trivandrum on 19, 20, and 21 May 2025. This workshop is intended for PhD scholars working in the fields of history, the social sciences, and allied disciplines, with a specific interest in Kerala. Bringing together historiographical review, source-based inquiry, and thematic exploration, the workshop aims to foster methodological rigor and interdisciplinary approaches in the practice of contemporary historical research.

Day 1: Grounding Research in Kerala’s Past

The opening day will offer a foundational review of research trajectories in the study of Kerala’s society and history. Resource persons will discuss the evolution of scholarly engagement with the region’s complex socio-political formations, helping researchers situate their work within the broader field of Kerala studies. This reflective session aims to provide a critical assessment of both past and ongoing research trends.

Subsequent sessions will focus on a comprehensive overview of historical sources central to the construction of historical narratives. The emphasis will be on equipping researchers orienting them towards diverse sources across early, modern, and contemporary periods. This grounding in sources and methodologies is designed to help researchers develop nuanced and contextually informed research frameworks.

Day 2: Contemporary Themes in Historical Inquiry

Building on the methodological foundations of Day 1, the second day turns to key thematic concerns shaping current research in the historical and social sciences. Sessions will explore the intersections of economic change and political formation, caste and community, bondage and slavery in Kerala’s past and present. A session on gender and sexuality will engage with feminist and queer historiographies, highlighting the importance of inclusive and intersectional perspectives.

The day also emphasizes orality, performance, and memory as vital sources of historical knowledge, particularly within Kerala’s rich traditions of public culture. Additional discussions will examine Malayali overseas experiences, literary and media expressions, and the historical dimensions of environmental and climate change. Each cluster encourages interdisciplinary dialogue and urges participants to move beyond conventional archives through innovative and critical research approaches.

Day 3: Project Clinic – Presentations by Research Fellows

The final day of the workshop is envisioned as a collaborative space for intellectual exchange and constructive feedback. Research fellows from diverse backgrounds will present their ongoing research, drawing on insights from the previous sessions to reflect on their research questions, methods, and theoretical orientations. This “Project Clinic” format encourages peer-to-peer learning while allowing for direct engagement with resource persons and senior scholars present at the workshop.

The aim is to provide emerging researchers with a platform to refine their proposals and methodologies in dialogue with a supportive academic community. By bridging historiographical reflection, source-based inquiry, and contemporary critical themes, the KCHR Research Methodology Workshop offers an invaluable opportunity for researchers to sharpen their methodological tools and expand their intellectual horizons. We welcome scholars across disciplines to join us in this collective endeavour to rethink and reimagine the practice of historical research in and beyond Kerala.

Selected Participants for the Research Methodology Workshop