When I was writing my last dissertation, I found my work process was bitty and fragmented, as I had to snatch time to do academic work when I could.
What I found most difficult was finding my place again and getting back into the ‘dissertation mindset’, remembering my last actions, trying to get back in the flow, recalling the gist of what I’d last read and the next steps I was about to take. Each time I came back to the work I felt lost and finding the way back into my previous work state was time-consuming and taxing. So, I designed a tool, a simple table to help me find my place again and keep track of my actions and emerging thoughts.
Here's what I devised:
| Date | Activity completed today | Final thoughts at the end of this work period | Next actions: To do list | Notes |
You can print it out or have it on your computer, whatever suits you. I found it really helped me find my place and stay on track. I made quick notes at the end of each study period and got into the habit of using it. Click to download a copy.
Write the date, then a few notes on the activity you have completed. It’s good to add some detail there; for example, if you’ve been reading note the article’s title, date, author and a note about what you thought of the reading, linking it to other ideas being developed. Often you have a few activities to log so be specific. I also found it useful to write down what my last paragraph was about and where the writing was heading next. It needs to be in enough detail to be a reliable memory -jogger. In the next column, before you stop working, add some notes about your last thoughts. Sometimes those thoughts are not quite fully baked; you may have an inkling or an emerging idea, perhaps a theme you are mulling over after reading needs a working note. Jot them down; they are placeholders for when you start again. If you have any concrete ‘to do’ items, write them in the next column. Miscellaneous notes go in the last column. I also made a note of anything I cut and copied to my dump file, as a reminder of what topics and paragraphs had been cut and where I could find them.
Inevitably, before using my dissertation work log, I would re-read my work to find the way into the writing process again and then I’d start the work for that day. However, I found a better way of being productive based on a great piece of advice from a professional editor who often coaxed writers to write productively. She suggested avoiding re-reading and editing and advised launching into writing each time you come back to your work. It makes sense, editing takes up lots of energy; therefore, I would recommend that you don’t read lots of pages, instead just read a couple of pages or the last section of the chapter just prior to where you left off. I started to use this approach and found that my word count was growing.
Previously, when I was using re-reading pages and pages of my work as a technique to get back into it, I’d start faffing, re-wording, changing terms, re-phrasing sentences, and then before you know it, you are two hours in, have done no new work and are feeling exhausted and frustrated with your lack of progress. Going straight into writing after using your work log helps you to find your way back in without getting bogged down with the minutiae of editing and going right back to the start again every time. The idea is to keep building the writing. If you are not quite sure about the value of your fresh writing, annotate with comments as you go in the margins, or use the comments function in Word and edit later when you schedule an editing session.
Making a brief diary note at the end of a writing day can contribute to feeling positive. You can add a quick reflection on what went well, what you want to do better the next time, reflect on actual progress compared to your goals, even self-praise! This diary-keeping, reflecting on your feelings can help regulate and process your emotions, keeping academic achievements on track and it helps you recover more quickly from setbacks.
Michele, Skills Team
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