James Boswell is arguably the father of the modern biography.  Born in 1740 in Edinburgh, Scotland, he is most famous for his biography of eighteenth century poet, writer and lexicographer, Samuel Johnson, The Life of Samuel Johnson.  Boswell's research method was to associate closely with Johnson so that he could write intimately about his subject.  In fact, Boswell, who was also a lawyer, spent much of his life observing the intellectual giants of British life, hanging out with the likes of statesman, Edmund Burke, writer and physician, Oliver Goldsmith and painter, Joshua Reynolds.

If you ever get a chance to pick up a copy of Boswell's London Journals, written when he spent his 22nd and 23rd years of life touring London, make sure that do so.  It is clear from the journals, which document Boswell's various associations in his young life, that his research style was developed early.

Boswell's method of life and learning was characterized by a term the that he often used: retenu.  Boswell biographer, Peter Martin explains:

"His method was, for him, a repugnantly rigid regimen of study monitored and cultivated by what he called retenu or calm and evenly paced reserve.  The word retenu tolls like another kind of bell throughout his memoranda and letters.  He measured his success or failure by how closely he adhered to it, censuring himself when he was too loud and lively, patting himself on the back when he was steady, 'upon your guard.'"

Martin goes on to outline Boswell's method of daily learning:

"By 5 October, he was forcing himself into an even more feverish pitch of study, rising at 6:30 a.m.: 'seven to eight, Ovid; eight to nine, French version; ten to eleven, Tacitus; three to four, French; four to five, Greek; six to seven, Civil Law; seven to eight, Scots; eight to ten, Voltaire.  Then journal, letters and other books.  Learn by all means retenu and being easy without talking of yourself, and guard against ridicule; so don't encourage viewing objects in ridiculous lights.' And so it went."

Later, Johnson developed a sort of manifesto of life conduct called the 'Inviolable Plan,'  a conduct code to be "read over frequently" and detailing his expectations of himself.  The Inviolable Plan included such directives as: "avoid idleness, remember religion and morality, keeping clear of 'gloomy [Presbyterian] notions, which have nothing to do with the mild and elegant religion of Jesus';  avoid profanity;"  along with keeping "in constant command of yourself," and restraining from "ludicrous talents" like mimicry and singing in public, deflecting "uneasy trifles" like gaming and billiards, and shunning "antipathies" to people and places. 

Johnson even corrected himself in his own diary:

"Yesterday you were too jocular and talked of yourself, particularly of your whoring, which was shameful. . .Try firmly this week never once to speak of yourself."