Thesis Annotation Tips

Your thesis is a great help to begin with in the viva. Adding notes helps you reflect on what’s there and can make it better for the viva. Here are seven kinds of annotations that can really help.

1. Add a small Post-it Note to the start of each chapter to make your thesis easier to navigate.
2. Underline typos that you spot with the same colour ink.
3. Unpick tricky passages with short descriptions in the margin.
4. Create a thesis commentary by summarising each page in ten words or less at the top of the page.
5. Highlight key references in your thesis.
6. Use large Post-it Notes to summarise large blocks of text or to replace vague sentences.
7. Add small Post-it Notes to draw attention to important sections of your thesis.

Think about what else would make your thesis even better than it already is. You’re making a special edition with an audience of one: it only has to be better for you.