Coding Your Readings

I was recently asked by a student how to tackle a stack of readings. She was writing a term paper. She knew exactly what questions she had to answer in the essay and basically how the essay would be organized according to sections (thanks to a very detailed assignment description). She had all of her research gathered (articles, chapters, web resources) and I had advised her to print them all to read. But how should she read and take notes to quickly accomplish her task?

I suggested coding. I described a very basic approach that I thought would work. Since she already knew what questions she had to answer and the sections that would be in the paper, I suggested she assign each question/topic a letter (A, B, C) and then make a quick reference sheet that provided an overview of the coding (A = general history, B = business strategy, C = competitive advantage, etc). While reading, if she came upon anything that answered a particular question or fit in a certain section, she could highlight it and make note using the coding established. Then, when she actually went to write the various sections of her term paper, she could quickly scan her readings and pull out all of the pertinent information.

For some people, colour-coding helps here as well. The basic principle remains -- you assign a colour to a question, topic, or theme and then use that to help you pull together information. You can use different coloured highlighters, coloured pencils, or your favourite pens or fine-tip markers. Of course, if you have several different items coded, you have to be sure you have enough different colours in your chosen medium, since you can only use each colour once.

How do you keep track of what you're reading and how it relates to the topics you're researching?

Now is Not the Time to Save Trees

So, you're writing your thesis (or major research paper or dissertation). You've probably got a tonne of articles, book chapters, and other resources to read. Maybe you're trying to save money by reading them off your computer or iPad. Maybe you're trying to avoid "wasting" so much paper. Maybe you're trying to save your back because paper copies are heavy to carry... But really, you should just print them and get on with reading, analyzing, thinking, and writing.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm the first person to say that you should only print what you must, that you should use recycled paper, that you should print on both sides (shrinking the pages so that two can be printed on each side), that you shouldn't waste paper. I'm a big fan of the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle). But this is one of those times when I say, "Print! Print it all!"

There's a practical reason for this: with a print copy, you can highlight important parts and make notes to yourself in the margins. You can colour-code and label. Now, I know many people will say that they can highlight and make notes on electronic copies -- and that is true -- but it's really not the same. Returning to the annotations in an electronic copy of an article can be quite clumsy and time-consuming. The benefit of the hard copy is that after you've done the reading, highlighting, and notating, you can then physically rearrange your sources for the writing process. You could pile them according to topic area, you could stack them in the order you intend to cite them, you could arrange them in any number of ways that suit the task at hand. And as you work through a stack for a particular section of your thesis, you can move them to a discard pile, which can be surprisingly motivating as you actually see your progress (with fewer and fewer articles left to reference).

There is something about the way that we physically interact with our readings and hand-write notes that helps with recall and thought processes. And it certainly can't hurt to give your eyes a rest from all of those glowing screens. Maybe I'm old school on this point, but I really do believe hard copy is better.

So take it from me: now is not the time to save trees. And if you feel guilty, then plant a tree or two when you're finished your thesis.

A New Blog for Thesis Strategies

Recently, two graduate students I know organized a group here in Sydney called the Cape Breton Graduate Research Community (CBGRC). The idea emerged from a conversation we had about how difficult it can be to focus on writing once you've finished all of your course work. Any number of challenges may confront you, including general procrastination, a lack of motivation, or time management issues when part-time or full-time employment becomes necessary. It's also important to note that writing is often a solitary activity and just what goes into writing a major research paper, thesis, or dissertation often can't be understood unless you've been through the process. Consequently, family and friends may struggle to understand how best to support you through the process.

As we discussed these challenges and strategies for dealing with them, I mentioned that during my master's program at University of Alberta, a group of us met weekly at a coffee shop to discuss our work and vent about whatever needed venting. It brought a social element back to our work and established a support system. For many of us, though admittedly not all, it was an important source of motivation and helped us achieve our goals (we had a 75% success rate in our group of four). Perhaps a similar group would help graduate students in the area? Enter the CBGRC.

The CBGRC exists both as a virtual group on Facebook and as real, live social group that meets at the Cooperative Study Club on Monday nights. While the group has only met twice and hasn't fully decided how it will run, its founding members decided that once a month they would invite a guest speaker who could present on some relevant topic, such as breaking through writer's block or editing strategies. I was only too happy to accept the invitation to be the first speaker on the topic of time management, which is critical for success.

And so on Monday of this week, I brought to the CBGRC a list of the tips that I thought would be useful for time management. I also shared my personal electronic calendar with the members so they could see how I manage my time (colour-coded by priority areas). I also encouraged them to do a time audit to determine just how much time they have in their lives for writing once other responsibilities and commitments were accounted for (eating, sleeping, exercising, working, attending classes, etc). I invited them to create their own "Not To Do List" (shout out to JMcD) to help them say no to new projects or tasks that may encroach on their writing time. Hopefully, everyone took something useful from the session.

Having reflected on the presentation I gave, I've decided to establish this blog for the participants in the CBGRC and anyone else who is writing a major research paper, thesis, dissertation, or any other academic work. I hope to provide a few practical strategies based in my own experience and motivate the members to persevere when writing gets tough. And anyone with alternative or complementary strategies or personal experiences to share is invited to contribute them.

So, stay tuned for the first strategy next week in a blog titled "Tasks Take Time."