Thesis supervisor meeting notes: a practical template

Prepare a decision, not a tour of everything you did

Thesis supervisor meeting notes should help you leave with a clearer next step. Before the meeting, write the two or three decisions you most need help with. “Discuss literature review” is vague. “Is this question too broad for the dissertation's word limit?” gives the conversation a purpose.

The University of Bristol's supervision principles describe preparing agendas and following up action points as part of the student's role. Your own programme may have different requirements, so use its official guidance first.

Make the meeting date the root of a small map. Add branches for decisions needed, progress, blockers, and agreed next steps. Attach the exact chapter or draft version you want feedback on so everyone is discussing the same material.

Give each question enough context to answer

Under a decision branch, record the options, the relevant evidence, and your current recommendation. You do not need to arrive with the correct answer. You need enough context that the supervisor can help you judge the alternatives.

For example, a fictional master's project is considering a campus-wide survey but has limited time. Its decision branch could compare a broad exploratory question with a narrower question about one cohort. The note should list access constraints, the deadline, and what each choice would let the project claim.

Do not use the template to assume ethical approval, participant access, or an adequate sample. Those need the appropriate academic process. A mind map records a question about the design; it cannot authorize the study.

Record the difference between a suggestion and a decision

During the meeting, label the status of a point. “Could you look at another method?” is a suggestion to investigate, not necessarily an instruction to replace the whole design. If the distinction affects your work, ask for clarification.

A useful decision record might read: “Keep the current question for now. Compare the two measurement options before finalizing the method.” Then write the action separately: “Student drafts a one-page comparison, with feasibility and limitations, for the next agreed date.”

Keep an owner and a definition of done. “Read more” is difficult to finish. “Find two sources using this measure and explain whether their conditions match this project” produces something you can bring back to the discussion.

Put actual deadlines in your calendar or task manager. Writing a date in Mappy's notes does not create a reminder or notify your supervisor.

Turn the personal map into an agreed record

After the meeting, send a concise summary through the channel your supervisor uses. Separate confirmed decisions, your proposed interpretation, and unanswered questions. If you are unsure about an instruction, ask rather than presenting your guess as something agreed.

Some universities require an institutional record. For example, Newcastle's meeting-record guidance specifies a formal system for postgraduate research supervision. A private map does not replace that requirement.

Keep confidential material out of a casually shared export. Use a short identifier instead of participant names or sensitive raw data when that is sufficient. Follow your institution's data-management rules, including which storage locations and sharing methods are allowed.

Make the next meeting start where this one ended

Before the next session, revisit the previous actions and label them complete, still open, or changed. Explain a blocker early. If a decision changed between meetings, retain the reason and date instead of silently rewriting the old record.

Mappy works for your own preparation: connected questions, expanded notes, links, and checklists in local Mac files. It has no recurring subscription or Mappy account. It is not a shared supervisor portal, an institutional audit system, or a replacement for agreed communication.

Use the text template below in Mappy or any notes editor. Start with one meeting and adapt it to the way your supervisor works. The test is whether it helps you distinguish what was discussed from what you are actually doing next.

Thesis supervision agenda and decision record

Use this outline in any notes editor, or recreate its branches in Mappy. It is a plain-text worksheet, not an automatically importable .mindmap file. No signup is needed for the template.

Download the text template (.txt)

Meeting date and attendees:
Project / chapter / document version:

Decisions needed (put the most important first):
  Question:
  Options and relevant evidence:
  My current recommendation:

Progress since last meeting:
Blocker or uncertainty:

During / after meeting:
  Suggestion to investigate:
  Agreed decision and reason:
  Action:
  Owner:
  Agreed date or date still to confirm:
  What counts as complete:

Confirmation sent:
Official university record updated:
Next meeting: