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Is it a good idea to keep my comments in the chapter draft to be sent to my supervisor? Sometimes when writing, I comment on the text, like personal notes. I am feeling that it may sound like incomplete work. But there mostly notes for possible future investigations.

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  • I guess you could ask the supervisor.
    – user111388
    Dec 14, 2020 at 14:49
  • Is your supervisor writing the draft?
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Dec 14, 2020 at 15:16
  • @AzorAhai-him- No, I am writing the draft.
    – BND
    Dec 14, 2020 at 18:05

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I suggest that you keep a notebook of anything that occurs to you as a possible research question as you go along. Make it a formal notebook with different ideas on different pages. Leave space so that you can add to ideas when they occur to you.

Also, review your notebook(s) periodically and perhaps summarize ideas.

You never know when you will hit a block in your current line of research and need a mental break. Paging through the notebooks can be fun and get you going again.

And mine those notebooks in the future for research ideas.

It is also useful to carry index cards with you at all times so that you can jot down ideas for later entry in the notebook. I find paper is best for all of this, but younger people probably prefer electronic means. But paper lasts. Will you still have that iPhone in 50 years?

So, this would include more than just your communications with your supervisor, but, yes, those too.

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  • Thank you for your reply. what about making two versions. My own and the one sent to the supervisor. The "compare" functionality in Word can latter be used to merge latter developed ideas.
    – BND
    Dec 14, 2020 at 14:33
  • Absolutely. The notebooks are for your own use.
    – Buffy
    Dec 14, 2020 at 14:35
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You should absolutely leave in substantive comments like:

  • "Is this a good way to phrase this?"
  • "Need to expand on description"
  • "New section - please review"

Early drafts are often ridden with comments and track changes, so I would suggest you leave comments that aren't relevant to reviewing the text out so that they don't clutter your supervisor's review of your draft.

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  • This is really helpful.
    – BND
    Dec 14, 2020 at 20:20
  • @BND You might be able to put comments under different authors and hide or delete the ones from the "random thoughts" author before sending it along.
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Dec 14, 2020 at 20:22

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