Meeting checklist
Supervisor meeting checklist for thesis students
Use this checklist before, during, and after a supervisor meeting. It helps you turn vague worries into focused questions and turn feedback into concrete thesis tasks.
Before the meeting
A supervisor meeting is easier when you arrive with a small number of decisions to check. If you arrive with only a general feeling that the thesis is "not right", your supervisor has to diagnose the entire project in real time. That can lead to broad advice that is hard to act on.
Before the meeting, write a one-page status note. Include the current research question, the stage you are working on, what you have changed since the last meeting, and the three decisions you most need help with. This does not need to be polished. It needs to be clear.
Proposal, literature review, methodology, data collection, analysis, discussion, or submission.
List what changed, what you read, what you drafted, or what problem appeared.
Write the decision you want checked, not only the topic you want to discuss.
Add the draft, outline, matrix, question, or table that helps your supervisor respond.
Question prompts to prepare
- Does this research question match the problem statement?
- Is the scope realistic for the time and data I have?
- Does this methodology answer the question, or am I forcing the design?
- Which theory or construct should organise the literature review?
- Is this sample or case selection defensible?
- What should I prioritise before the next meeting?
- Which decision should I record as final, and which one remains open?
During the meeting
During the meeting, separate advice from decisions. Advice can be exploratory: read this author, compare these methods, narrow this population, or explain the gap more clearly. A decision is stronger: keep the research question, change the sample, remove one objective, use interviews, or rewrite the method section before moving on.
Write decisions in plain language while the meeting is happening. If something is unclear, ask: "Should I treat this as a decision, or as something to investigate before deciding?" That one question can prevent a lot of confusion later.
After the meeting
The meeting is not finished when the call ends. Within the same day, turn your notes into actions. Each action should have a verb, a target, and a deadline. "Improve methodology" is too vague. "Rewrite the sample justification to explain inclusion criteria by Friday" is much easier to complete.
| Feedback | Decision | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The research question is too broad. | Narrow to one population and one outcome. | Rewrite the question and send the new version before the next meeting. |
| The literature review lacks structure. | Organise by constructs, not by authors. | Update the literature matrix with construct labels. |
| The method needs clearer feasibility. | Keep survey design but explain recruitment route. | Add sample size target, channel, and backup plan. |
Build a simple meeting rhythm
A good meeting rhythm makes progress easier to see. Before each meeting, send a short status note and the specific material you want reviewed. During the meeting, mark decisions separately from suggestions. After the meeting, update your project plan within a day and choose the next small deliverable.
The rhythm matters because thesis feedback often arrives in pieces. One meeting may refine the question, the next may reshape the method, and the next may focus on a draft chapter. If you record decisions consistently, you can keep those pieces connected instead of treating every meeting as a fresh start.
Bad-to-better meeting question
Weak question: Is my thesis good?
This is understandable, but it is too broad. Your supervisor may respond with general advice, and you may leave without knowing what to change first.
Better question: My research question currently asks how hybrid work affects wellbeing, but my planned interview method captures employee experiences rather than measurable effects. Should I reword the question around experiences, or change the method to a survey?
The better question shows the actual tension. It gives your supervisor a decision to help with, and it links wording, method, and evidence.
Common mistakes
One mistake is saving every difficult question for the meeting. Some questions can be answered by reading your handbook, checking the thesis rubric, or reviewing the assignment brief. Use supervisor time for decisions that need academic judgement.
Another mistake is leaving without confirming priorities. If you receive ten pieces of feedback, ask which two or three matter most before the next meeting. Otherwise you may spend time polishing a section your supervisor expected you to restructure.
A final mistake is not updating your project documents after feedback. If the question changes, the proposal, literature matrix, methodology plan, and timeline may also need to change. Keep the project record consistent.
Keep meeting decisions connected to your thesis
Scitong helps you capture accepted decisions, open questions, and next actions so your proposal, Blueprint, chapters, methodology, data, and submission checks stay aligned.
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