Reflective journal
This is a diary you write at least once a week and perhaps more often, if a lot is happening. Or it may be something that you write at the end of a year or semester when you look back at what you have learnt. In it you note down the progress you’re making - or lack of it, problems and frustrations and what you plan to do about them. Also, any insights you have along the way.
Model. Here is part of a real-life journal which I started when I was writing a thesis. You will have no idea what I’m talking about but the format is what you should look at. If you’re writing for yourself, anything goes but if it’s part of your assessment you will need to add more of ‘what I learned’, ‘what I’d do next time around’ etc. And probably write in complete sentences! Week 5 Another frustrating trip to the Library. Though the computer told me ‘Check Shelf’ the journal I really wanted was missing – and what’s more, it looks as if it was never there! After a talk with my supervisor I think I want to make the concept of time one of my main issues. Week 6. Suddenly the drought has broken. I can find so many books and articles it’s embarrassing. I wasn’t happy with my introduction. I have realised just how much stuff I was assuming and decided I needed to go back and anchor some of these ideas like time (is past, present and future a Western construct?) and history - just what does it mean? A narration of events or the interpretation of them? Or both? Week 7 My major problem now is the way I structure my intro and what I can leave out – it’s blowing out! I seem to have an awful lot of footnotes already! But structure is my main worry. If I start with Greek and Roman historiography and I continue chronologically I will have to retrace my steps. I was planning to jump from Roman to Renaissance, the link being that they returned to classical ways of thinking. Then continue on to Cullmann, say it’s not new and go back and trace heilgeschichte from the OT to NT to Early Church Fathers to the Middle Ages where my thesis proper will start. I’ll write it this way and then ask my supervisor for her opinion. I think it should work. Cohesion will be crucial. Week 8 Met with my supervisor – she has suggested that I extract the big section on patristics and submit it as an article to JEH or some such journal. Then I can have it bound with my thesis and refer to it. Maybe then this will solve the chronological problem and at the same time get the thesis down to 70,000 words!