Chapter 1. IntroductionJeroen Dera, Anne Oerlemans and Frederik Van DamPART I. EMPIRICAL METHODSChapter 2. Designing Self-Completion Questionnaires in Literary Reception ResearchJeroen DeraChapter 3. Using Interviews in Literary Reception ResearchJeroen DeraChapter 4. Using Focus Groups in Literary Reception ResearchHelleke van den BraberChapter 5. Analysing Elicitation Data in Literary Reception ResearchJeroen Dera and Helleke van den BraberPART II. SOCIOLOGICAL METHODSChapter 6. Field Theory: Researching and Mapping the Literary FieldAnne OerlemansChapter 7. Posture AnalysisJos JoostenChapter 8. Material Analysis and Book History MethodsAlicia C. MontoyaPART III. DIGITAL METHODSChapter 9. Literary Evaluation and Argumentation AnalysisEsther Op de Beek and Bea RosChapter 10. Computer-Assisted Qualitative AnalysisDennis Kersten and Usha WilbersChapter 11. Computational Analysis: Fanfiction as Literary ReceptionJulia NeugartenChapter 12. Corpus Analysis: Distant Reading Digitized PeriodicalsMaaike KoffemanPART IV. TEXT-FOCUSED METHODSChapter 13. Literary Discourse AnalysisAukje van HoutChapter 14. Close Reading and Reception StudiesFrederik Van DamChapter 15. Translation as ReceptionElke Brems and Jan CeuppensGlossaryContributorsTurning reading into research: Researching literature through its reception.Research Methods in Literary Reception Studies is the first handbook to offer a systematic, hands-on guide to the study of literary reception. It shows how scholars can examine readers’ responses to literature, as well as how texts are evaluated, discussed, rewarded, and circulated across social and institutional settings. By combining empirical, sociological, digital, and text-focused approaches, the book offers clear guidance on research design, data collection, and analysis. Each chapter offers step-by-step methodological instructions and illustrates these through a concrete case study. Integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, and written for advanced students and researchers, this handbook provides a comprehensive methodological toolbox for studying literature as a cultural practice.Research Methods in Literary Reception Studies is the first handbook to offer a systematic, hands-on guide to the study of literary reception. It shows how scholars can examine readers’ responses to literature, as well as how texts are evaluated, discussed, rewarded, and circulated across social and institutional settings. By combining empirical, sociological, digital, and text-focused approaches, the book offers clear guidance on research design, data collection, and analysis. Each chapter offers step-by-step methodological instructions and illustrates these through a concrete case study. Integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, and written for advanced students and researchers, this handbook provides a comprehensive methodological toolbox for studying literature as a cultural practice.