Now that we’re moving into dissertation season, I’ve been going through notes and re-working lectures on research writing for international students. I think that from all of the lectures that I give on this topic, the stuff on methodology is the hardest to articulate. 

Part of this is because my audience is multi-disciplinary, and methodology varies among them. The other part is because, quite simply, doing a research project and then writing about it in methodological terms is often… hard. 

When I was going through my notes, I remembered some advice that I had been given as a PhD student that really helped me navigate the methodological parts of my research project. This advice was to keep a methodological journal.  

What is it? 

A methodological journal is basically a regular note of how your research project is going. It’s a simple way of keeping track of your project with regular dated journal entries. You can make it as detailed or simple as you want or as structured or unstructured. It’s super simple but also useful.  

Why it matters 

Keeping a methodological journal matters a lot to both the product and process of your dissertation. 

In terms of product, a written-up account of what you did is crucial to detailing to justifying and detailing what you did. In a methodology chapter, every step you took must be detailed and rationalised clearly. An effectively kept journal is a gift in the writing up stage after the project is over. And let's face it, it’s likely that you might have big gaps in your memory about what you did to get your results. Don’t let yourself get into that situation. 

In terms of process, the methodological journal provides a reflective account of how things are going, and importantly, how they were going at the past. This is super important to lifting your spirits if you are feeling down about your project. For me this helped a lot when I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. It’s common to feel stuck at times when you are learning, but this journal can help get you unstuck. And all it takes is to look back at some old journal entries.  

Take a look at the snippets from my own methodological journal during my PhD. At the time, I was grappling with a qualitative approach to research called Grounded Theory. From these few snippets, it’s possible to see that how I gained confidence in myself as a researcher over a few weeks. Believe me – being able to see this in my journal at the time was so helpful. 

How to do it? 

Here’s a brief outline of how you should go about making one. 

Step 1: Get something to write on. 

• This should be a designated new document to start with (could be audio). In all honesty, I suggest that this is digital or at least make sure that it’s something you are not going to lose. Losing a journal can be very stressful! 

Step 2: Write down the date. 

• If you’re doing a longer project, remember to put the year in. You can make a diary entry as often as you want. I used to do mine once a week and on a Friday. 

Step 3: Write down what you’ve done since your last post. 

• Make this crystal clear. Remember, what is obvious to you now might not be so obvious to your future self. Write this in whatever way you want - first person, bullet points, whatever works. 

Step 4: Write down your reflections. 

• What went well? What are you stuck with? Perhaps everything is fine. Write it down. This is a chance for you to reflect on how this project is going. It’s a private space so write like nobody is watching. Be honest with yourself. Any concerns, successes, annoyances or feelings? 

Step 5: Action points? 

• I think that this point is optional. However, if it’s helpful to you, you can add action points to the end of your journal entry. Are there any goals that you want to set yourself? Anything thing that you need to work on? If you do set goals, then please make them achievable and specific. There’s nothing more demoralising that unachievable and unrealistic goals. 

I honestly can’t recommend writing a methodological journal more. Have a go and then stick with it. Remember to keep looking back from time to time – it's highly satisfying to see your progress.