Literature
ActiveEverything read that bears on the work, recorded once. This section holds everything read; the thesis bibliography holds everything cited, and those are deliberately different sets.
One note per paper: summary, method, findings, limitations and relevance to this thesis.
TopicsCross-cutting subject clusters, each pulling together the papers that speak to it.
AuthorsResearchers whose work matters here, and what each of them actually established.
Reading notesDated reading sessions, before the material is organised into anything.
SynthesisThemes, research gaps, competing theories and the literature map.
Reading protocol
Three passes, and most papers stop at the first.
| Pass | Time | Produces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 min | Title, abstract, figures, conclusion. Keep or drop. |
| 2 | 1 hour | A note with summary, method and findings. |
| 3 | Half day | Reproduction of the central argument or result. |
A paper that reaches pass three gets a full note with a thesis-relevance
page. Most do not, and the note stays short. Notes that are long because they
are transcriptions rather than judgements are worse than no note.
What a note must answer
- What did they actually do, as distinct from what they claim?
- What would have to be true for the conclusion to follow?
- What does this change about the thesis, if anything?
A note that does not answer the third question is filing, not reading.