How to Become an Independent Scholar and Researcher

Main ideas / concepts conveyed

• Independent scholarship is for anyone, regardless of academic background (no degree, master’s student, or someone many years out of university).
• The core purpose is to contribute to a field of study, not just build a personal “curriculum” or collection of interests.
• Degrees help because they provide time and structured, professional guidance, but they are not required to learn the skills. Independent scholars can still build competence through alternative support.
• Independent research depends heavily on:
  • access to academic sources
  • networking within academia
  • academic writing skills
  • finding and refining a research niche by reading widely and tracking current scholarly conversations.
• Legitimacy comes from consistent scholarly output (e.g., blog/newsletter/public writing) and active engagement with academic publishing and events—especially when you lack institutional affiliation.

Methodology / instruction-style guidance

1) Start with the right kind of reading (commercial vs academic)

• Use commercial non-fiction as a “primer,” but recognize it is not academic literature.
• Key differences:
  • Academic literature vs commercial non-fiction differ in standards, structure, and expectations for rigor.
  • Commercial books may use more emotive or generalized language and are written to sell.
  • Academic books are often published by university presses and undergo heavier scholarly critique (comparable rigor to peer review).
• Key implication: if you want to become a scholarly writer/researcher, you must eventually build your work around academic sources (not commercial books), unless you are explicitly analyzing the commercial text itself.
• Practical “how to verify” cue: look at the publisher:
  • Academic press examples: Princeton University Press (and university presses generally)
  • Commercial publisher example: Doubleday Books

2) Overcome access barriers to academic literature (workarounds)

Buy textbooks selectively during publisher sales

• Use university press sites (examples listed): Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Edinburgh, Manchester.
• Actions:
  • sign up for newsletters
  • watch social media
  • wait for sales (often 30%+, sometimes up to 50%)
• Prefer ebooks when possible (often much cheaper than physical copies).

Use libraries (major priority)

• Prefer national libraries with academic databases:
  • Scotland: Scottish National Library
  • UK example: British Library
• Scotland membership details noted:
  • free membership if you are a local resident
  • access may include reading in situ and platforms like Cambridge Core and JSTOR
• If no national library is available:
  • use nearby university libraries (public membership may cost; alumni sometimes free)
  • actively use librarians—they want to help, and their funding depends on demonstrated use.

If you must, buy journal/database access

• Consider paying for resources like JSTOR.
• Make a cost/benefit decision based on how central independent scholarship is to your goals.

3) Build scholarly discovery and opportunities through networking (online + conferences)

• Follow academics on social media—specifically those working within institutions, not just independent creators.
• Watch for:
  • calls for papers
  • conferences
  • chapters/books being published
  • open-access articles by academics
  • societies/associations (sometimes low-cost or free)
• Join listservs/email networks when available:
  • Example mentioned: a classics listserv hosted by Liverpool University, open to join.
• Use online conferences strategically:
  • attend to see how papers are presented and what scholars focus on
  • engage actively:
    • ask good questions
    • thank presenters
    • participate repeatedly so you become a recognizable presence
  • treat it as “free networking for introverts”
  • use connections later for opportunities like publication consideration

4) Strengthen academic writing before submitting work or networking heavily

• Academic writing is hard and often requires development (especially at PhD level).
• Universities help with structured one-on-one supervision, but independent writers can still build skills.
• Options:
  • Use academic writing books
    • intended for student levels; typically not extremely expensive (speaker suggests ~£25 max, generally)
    • look for second-hand copies
  • Hire an academic writing tutor
    • often PhD students or early academics offering feedback for extra income
    • provides mentorship similar to university support
  • Request feedback from academics for free only when appropriate
    • if you’re broke, ask academics who already recognize you from conferences or ongoing engagement
    • don’t exploit—academics are busy; feedback in busy seasons may not happen
    • don’t expect extremely detailed reviews for free
    • be respectful: show you’ve genuinely engaged with their work
    • aim for “tit-for-tat” rapport:
      • build rapport first
      • ask at the right time
      • avoid entitlement

5) Find (and continually refine) your research niche

• Outside academia, interests can be too broad, and many topics may already be heavily researched.
• You need to read widely and identify a “gap” you can realistically contribute to.
• Your niche will change over time as scholarly trends shift.
  • Example: the speaker noted feminist retellings became too saturated after extensive scholarship, leading to a shift in focus.
• Practical approach:
  • attend conferences relevant to the broad area (e.g., Gothic literature)
  • observe patterns:
    • what people cite
    • who they read
    • what they debate
  • build your niche from those patterns.

6) What to do immediately (simple “today” actions)

• Start writing something small and regular
  • “Write to yourself,” aiming for high standards.
• Set up a blog and/or newsletter as your “home base”
  • Ideally build a website (Squarespace mentioned)
  • Keep a consistent pace:
    • suggested: every 2 weeks (or fortnight)
    • if needed: once a month is still valid
• Choose blog topics tied to your learning:
  • your first engagement with key texts (e.g., “a seminal text everyone now talks about”)
  • a new article/book and what you learned
  • notes that develop an academic voice (casual tone, academic mind)
• Use your platform to:
  • archive your progress
  • share links when asked at conferences (“what’s your website?”)
  • advertise relevant conferences and show active involvement

7) Manage expectations and sustainability

• Independent scholarship takes time and can be challenging if you are:
  • a carer
  • have children
  • disabled
  • working multiple jobs / full-time work
• There is no rush:
  • keep building in the background
  • prioritize gradual consistency
• Long-term goal:
  • eventually speak at conferences and get published
  • without needing an institution—your evidence is your body of work + active engagement with scholarship happening now.

Sponsors / promotions included

• The video is sponsored by Squarespace (website platform).
• Squarespace is promoted for:
  • building a website
  • creating member-only content
  • selling courses/products/content
  • tracking analytics and income
• Discount link mentioned:
  • Squarespace.com/ladyofthelibrary for 10% off at first purchase (after a free 14-day trial).

Speakers / sources featured (as mentioned)

Speaker / narrator

• Cinzia
  • part-time PhD student in classics
  • specializes in contemporary English literature
  • based in the UK

Academic / author examples cited

• Emily Hauser (used to contrast commercial non-fiction vs academic writing)
• Simone de Beauvoir (mentioned as a possible example text/topic)
• “Madwoman in the Attic” (mentioned as a possible example text/topic)

Publishers / institutions / platforms mentioned

• Princeton University Press
• Doubleday Books
• Oxford University Press
• Cambridge University Press
• Yale
• Harvard
• Edinburgh
• Manchester
• Scottish National Library
• British Library
• Cambridge Core
• JSTOR
• Liverpool University (as host of the classics listserv, per speaker)

Conference/network resource

• Classics listserv (hosted by Liverpool University, per speaker)

Listener support / acknowledgements (patrons)

Mentioned top-tier patrons (names as spoken): Eric Taylor, That darn cat, Gil the Gilded Dragon, Yvonne and Yvonne, Lauren, Andy Basil, Nicholas Reed, Joshua Heredia, Holly is Autistic, Same Holly, Lady of the Labyrinth, Jenny Edvade.

Other

• Recurring claim/phrase included: “books save lives.”