So, after the debacle that was my first attempt at writing, I decided to revisit my plan and did what I should have done in the first place. I’ve revisited my notebooks – some of which are more than three years old and gone through and added to my note-taking system. Now, when I come across something that I think is important for my thesis, I highlight it – whether it’s a note or a quotation – and then I add it straight away to the scrivener file. It’s a painstaking process, but it’s beginning to pay dividends.
Let me explain what I mean: my first part, after the introduction, was to write a review of civics and citizenship education – the history of it and the way that it has developed, with an especial focus on Australia, which is where my main interest lay. After reviewing my notes and identifying what I wanted, I was easily able to write more than 5000 words – and, dare I say it – I think it has real potential. I was stunned at how much work I had actually completed – I’d forgotten a lot of what I’d read, but it all came back to me as I reviewed it, and then, it seemed to fit in really easily with where I was heading.
Now, of course, it’s early days, but I’m pretty pleased with progress to date. I’ve got about 8 weeks before I want to have completed most of my literature reviews – that’s a lot of writing to do. My new target is about 1500 words per week.