楊義對文學地理學學術範式的創新基於其“大文學觀”和觀照整個中華民族文化發生發展的問題意識。將少數民族文學納入中國文學版圖，尤其注重漢族與少數民族、中原與邊緣互動關係的考察，這既是民族文學研究的深化，又為少數民族文學如何進入中國文學史提供了一種範式；文學地理學既是文學的文化研究，也是文化（文明）的文學研究，跨學科的範式開拓出當下文學研究的新視域；文學地理學個案實踐選擇的對象本身就是文學文化史上的大題目，楊義引入文學地理學視角和方法如“悟性細讀”、“文化還原”、“現代大國的文化解釋能力”等，彰顯著作者治學的詩性氣質與史家精神，其對本位文化的積極態度展示了中國學問的風範。

Yang Yi’s innovations to the academic paradigm on literature and geography are based on the consciousness to his vision of “greater literature” and questions concerning the emergence and development of the culture of the entire Chinese nation. The inclusion of ethnic minorities into the sphere of Chinese literature, in particular the examination of the interactive relations between the Han ethnicity and the minorities, as well as between the Central Plain and the periphery, not only deepens the studies on ethnic literature, but also provides a new paradigm on how the literature of ethnic minorities can integrate into the history of Chinese literature. Literature geography not only focuses on the culture of literature, but also on the literature of culture or civilisation. Such inter-disciplinary paradigm opens up new perspectives for literature studies of today. The object selected for case studies on literature geography is itself an important topic for the history of literature and culture. The introduction by Yang Yi of such perspectives and methods as “reading by understanding”, “cultural restoration” and “explanatory capacity on the culture for a modern, powerful country”, demonstrates the academic spirit of the author as a poet and historian, and his positive attitude to his subject culture demonstrates the demeanour of Chinese studies.