Just doing some writing (first time for a long time) and I have quite a few terms - I do obviously explain them in the text and do not abbreviate the first time, and I always make sure I put the full term (not the abbreviation) the first time it is mentioned in each of the chapters.

But I was wondering if I should put a glossary in too.

half of me thinks it would be good (and add another page :-) ) but half of me thinks its a bit 'primary school report'.

Any opinions welcome

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Hi Sneaks

Welcome back :-)

I haven't done one myself but was considering including one for similar-ish reasons to you. A colleague (not my supv, but a friend) suggested that a glossary might be the way to go for me. A lot of the terms I'm using could be easily misconstrued and so I have already written a sub-section stating what I mean when I refer to 'x'. I'm not that happy with it though. The reason I am having doubts re: a glossary is that some of them are everyday words and I thought they might look a bit weird in a glossary. If yours are more technical it could be really useful. Also means you don't have to constantly explain as you go along.

I appreciate a glossary when it's in a book and frequently consult it. It's hard to know - interesting to hear other's thoughts.

I have added a glossary as suggested by my supervisory team just to add clarity to the thesis. I have just been compiling mine this weekend and it has highlighted where I have used different abbreviations for the same thing! It has been a useful exercise for consistency throughout the thesis if nothing else. If you are questioning whether you should include it, ask your sups? I am undecided what to call mine: 'glossary' or 'list of abbreviation'?

hi Sneaks
how are you? :-) Glossary is not the same as Abbreviations? which is which?
I have one page for abbreviations

love satchi

I had a glossary with both acronyms and the odd highly technical term in my thesis. The external commented that he'd found it helpful as a quick reminder when reading it, but it has to be said, there were a LOT of uncommon acronyms in my thesis.

I didn't include a glossary in the thesis that I submitted. I could have done, but thought that full terms followed the appropriate abbreviations would be sufficient. I suppose I'll find out after the viva.

hmm, ok, maybe I'll compile a list at some point to see how many acronym and technical words there are. I was going to be referring to all my participant groups in acronyms, but now I've changed what they're called, so they'd all have the same initials - which would be very confusing lol. (e.g. chicken littles (CL) and Canary Littles (CL) ) so won't need to do that now.


I'm ok - getting back to writing. Just had a HUGE argument with hubs which is a bit rubbish -mainly around the crappness of academic careers and any future I may have in academia. :-(

Hi Sneaks

I didn't but I have read one or two that have, they needed to and I was glad they did. They had a range of terms which were similar and I could remember what they meant for a few pages but then "blank". I think they were included just after the table of contents, figures

Sorry about argument with hubs, I suspect academic households all over the place are having similar "discussions"... not a nice time.

Have a good rest of weekend. Chuff

I am going to put a glossary in with mine, to help define things that I think may be confused, or which have one meaning outside schools and another meaning inside schools, so they know to which one I am referring in the text.

I did include a Glossary, just after the lists of Tables and Figures. Be careful though; I left mine to the last minute and one of my examiners picked up on an abbreviation I'd missed. Not a big problem, but a negative nonetheless - I wished I'd compiled it more carefully during the writing stage.