Most women who are modern historians pick lighter topics for their research, such as women's history, or the history of daily life, clothing and jewelry, or food and drink. In contrast, Lin Man-houng's wide-ranging work has focused on more solemn topics such as national sovereignty, politics and economics.
相較於其他中國近代史女性學者多取經婦女史、生活史、服飾史、飲食史等較軟性的題材，林滿紅著眼於國家主權、政治經濟等「剛性」的角度，更顯其歷史視野的大開大闔。