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Glossary in a Dissertation – A Comprehensive Guide

Published by Owen Ingram at August 26th, 2021 , Revised On September 20, 2023

A list of glossary contains all those terms used in your dissertation, but the meanings of which may not be evident to the readers. Here is all you need to know about the glossary in a dissertation.

Basically, any term you use in your dissertation that you know, without a doubt, is not going to be common knowledge to readers outside of your field, is included in a list called glossary. And since every field has its unique, technical jargon, a glossary list can contain many terms some readers might not have even heard of before.

A typical glossary in a dissertation may look something like this:

Do you Even Need Glossary in your Dissertation to Begin with?

You may or may not be required to have a separate list of glossaries in your  dissertation . The decision whether to have a list of glossaries in a dissertation depends on whether it will improve the readability of your paper.

For example , if you are  writing a dissertation  for an engineering degree and have used several technical terms that readers—especially laymen—may not be familiar with, \ it is advised to add a glossary in a dissertation.

Listing Terms in a Glossary

A recommended practice of adding a glossary in a dissertation is to sort the terms alphabetically and provide a definition or explanations for each of those terms. Having the terms listed in alphabetical order will help the readers to easily locate the information they are interested in.

Location of a Glossary List in a Dissertation

The glossary list is generally placed at the beginning of the dissertation paper, just after the  list of tables and figures or the list of abbreviations.  However, if your paper does not have a list of abbreviations or a list of tables and figures, you can place the glossary right after the  table of contents .

This gives readers the opportunity to understand the meanings of key terms they are not familiar with even before they start to read the main content of the paper.

However, if you haven’t used a lot of technical terms in your dissertation, you can choose to provide an explanation and meanings of the few terms that you have used in the form of footnotes .

Difference Between Abbreviations and Glossary

It is important not to confuse the glossary in the dissertation with the abbreviations, which are put in the list of abbreviations.

A list of abbreviations contains all the terms that have abbreviations. For instance, if you have used terms like NASA , UNICEF , UNESCO , UN , NIH , etc., such terms along with what they stand for will come under the list of abbreviations.

Note, however, that only their full forms, and not their meanings, are mentioned in that list. That is what’s mentioned in a glossary list, though: meanings. Definitions of terms, terms that were used in the dissertation. The terms themselves aren’t abbreviation.

For instance, in a linguistics’ dissertation, you might end up creating a glossary list containing terms like phenomenology, code-switching, diglossia, etc. Notice how these are complete terms , not abbreviations.

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Example of a Glossary in Dissertation

If you haven’t created a list of glossaries before then you will find the below example of a glossary in a dissertation particularly useful:

Other Lists you can have in your Dissertation

You might also want to have a list of tables and figures as well as a list of abbreviations in your dissertation particularly if you are writing a master’s or PhD dissertation. However, make sure to keep the following order:

• Table of contents
• Lists of figures and tables
• List of abbreviations

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FAQs About Glossary in a Dissertation

What is a glossary.

It’s a list of special terms—single words, phrases, etc.—that are not commonly known to the ‘average’ reader or to a reader who isn’t an expert in that field.

What is included in a glossary?

Ideally, words are included in a glossary. However, in some cases—depending on the topic— abbreviations , phrases etc. might also be mentioned within the list of glossary in a dissertation. Sometimes, it might also include a brief definition of how to pronounce a certain word/phrase.

What is the best way to create a glossary?

Keep in mind two things while creating a glossary list: keep the language of the definition simple so that every kind of reader can understand it. That’s why a glossary is given, to begin with, to simplify technical jargon and inform laymen. Secondly, arrange the terms inside it alphabetically.

How many times can I include the same term in a glossary list?

No matter how many times a word or a phrase appears in your dissertation , include it and define it only once in your glossary. There should be no duplicate entries in a glossary list.

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Writing a dissertation can be tough if this is the first time you are doing it. You need to look into relevant literature, analyze past researches, conduct surveys, interviews etc.

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How to Write a Glossary

Last Updated: June 8, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alexander Peterman, MA . Alexander Peterman is a Private Tutor in Florida. He received his MA in Education from the University of Florida in 2017. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 225,527 times.

A glossary is a list of terms that traditionally appears at the end of an academic paper, a thesis, a book, or an article. The glossary should contain definitions for terms in the main text that may be unfamiliar or unclear to the average reader. To write a glossary, you will first need to identify the terms in your main text that need to be in the glossary. Then, you can create definitions for these terms and make sure the formatting of the glossary is correct so it is polished and easy to read.

Identifying Terms for the Glossary

• For example, you may notice you have a technical term that describes a process, such as “ionization.” You may then feel the reader needs more clarification on the term in the glossary.
• You may also have a term that is mentioned in the main text, but not discussed in detail. You may then feel this term could go into the glossary so you can include more information for the reader.

• For example, you may ask your editor, “Would you mind helping me identify terms for the glossary?” or “Can you assist me in identifying any terms for the glossary that I may have missed?”

• You may tell the reader to look out for any terms they find unclear or unfamiliar in the main text. You may then get several readers to read the main text and note if the majority of readers chose the same terms for the glossary.
• Have multiple readers point out terms they find confusing so you don’t miss any words.

• The glossary terms should broad and useful to a reader, but not excessive. For example, you should have one to two pages of terms maximum for a five to six-page paper, unless there are many academic or technical terms that need to be explained further. Try not to have too many terms in the glossary, as it may not be useful if it covers too much.

Creating Definitions for the Glossary Terms

• You should always write the summary yourself. Do not copy and paste a definition for the term from another source. Copy and pasting an existing definition and claiming it as your own in the glossary can be considered plagiarism.
• If you do use content from another source in the definition, make sure you cite it properly.

• For example, you may write a summary for the term “rigging” as: “In this article, I use this term to discuss putting a rig on an oil drum. This term is often used on an oil rig by oil workers.”
• You may also include a “See [another term]” note if the definition refers to other terms listed in the glossary.
• For example, “In this article, I use this term to discuss putting a rig on an oil drum. This term is often used on an oil rig by oil workers. See OIL RIG .”

• If you only have a small number of abbreviations in the main text, you can define them in the main text.
• For example, you may have the abbreviation “RPG” in the text one or two times. You may then define it in the text on first use and then use the abbreviation moving forward in the text: “Role-playing game (RPG).”

Formatting the Glossary

• Make sure you order the terms by first letter and then by the second letter in the term. For example, in the “A” section of the glossary, “Apple” will appear before “Arrange,” as “p” appears before “r” in the alphabet. If a term has multiple words, use the first word in the phrase to determine where to put it in the glossary.

• You may also have sub-bullets within one glossary entry for a term if there are sub-concepts or ideas for one term. If this is the case, put a sub-bullet under the main bullet so the content is easy to read. For example:
• “My Little Pony RPG: A sub-group of role-playing games that focus on characters in the My Little Pony franchise.”

• For example, you may have the following entry in the glossary: “ Rigging : In this report, I use rigging to discuss the process of putting a rig on an oil drum.”
• Or you may format the entry as: “ Rigging - In this report, I use rigging to discuss the process of putting a rig on an oil drum.”

• If you have other additional content in the paper, such as a “List of Abbreviations,” the glossary will traditionally be placed after these lists as the last item in the paper.
• If you are creating a glossary for an academic paper, your teacher may indicate where they would prefer the glossary in the paper.
• If you are creating a glossary for a text for publication, ask your editor where they would prefer the glossary to fall in the text. You can also look at other texts that have been published and note where they place the glossary.

Glossary Template

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• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/research_papers/identifying_audiences.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/definitions.html
• ↑ https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/researchglossary
• ↑ https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/MDN/Writing_guidelines/Howto/Write_a_new_entry_in_the_Glossary
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/glossary/
• ↑ https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/words/minimize-abbreviations/
• ↑ https://www.unl.edu/writing/glossary
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/italics-quotations
• ↑ https://gradschool.unc.edu/academics/thesis-diss/guide/ordercomponents.html

About This Article

To write a glossary, start by making a list of terms you used in your text that your audience might not be familiar with. Next, write a 2 to 4 sentence summary for each term, using simple words and avoiding overly technical language. Then, put the terms in alphabetical order so they are easy for the reader to find, and separate each one with either a space or with bullet points. Finally, place the glossary before or after the text and make sure to include it in the table of contents so it’s easy to find. For tips from our Education reviewer on how to decide which terms should go in your glossary, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The Essentials of a Thesis Glossary

March 5 2024 04:39 PM

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The Glossary section of a thesis is a beacon of clarity, illuminating the specialized terminology and complex concepts that form the backbone of scholarly work. This section is particularly crucial in fields laden with jargon, providing a reference point that ensures your research is accessible to a broader audience, including those less familiar with the discipline. Crafting a Glossary that enhances understanding without overwhelming the reader is an art. Below, we explore the strategic do's and don'ts for compiling a Glossary, alongside examples that embody clarity and misunderstanding.

The Essential Do's

• Select Terms Wisely:

Include specialized terms used in a unique context or pivotal to understanding your research. Prioritize clarity and relevance over quantity.

• Provide Clear Definitions:

Each entry should be concisely defined, offering readers a straightforward explanation that enhances their comprehension of your work.

• Organize Alphabetically:

An alphabetical arrangement facilitates easy navigation, allowing readers to quickly locate terms. This organizational method is both intuitive and user-friendly.

• Maintain Consistency:

Ensure that the usage of terms in your thesis is consistent with the definitions provided in your Glossary. Consistency reinforces clarity and credibility.

The Crucial Don'ts

• Don't Overload with Common Terms:

Avoid cluttering your Glossary with terms that are widely known or easily understood in the context of your field. Focus on those that truly require clarification.

• Avoid Complex Definitions:

The purpose of a Glossary is to clarify, not to confuse. Keep your definitions straightforward, avoiding circular explanations or referencing other terms defined within the Glossary.

• Don't Neglect Formatting:

Uniform formatting (e.g., indentation, font size, and style) across your Glossary enhances readability and maintains the professional integrity of your thesis.

• Avoid Inconsistency in Detail:

Strive for a balance in the level of detail provided for each definition. Discrepancies in detail can lead to a Glossary that feels uneven and less helpful.

Good Glossary Example

Bioremediation: The process of using microorganisms to remove or neutralize contaminants from a polluted area.

Epigenetics: The study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.

Phytoplankton: Microscopic marine algae that form the base of the oceanic food chain, responsible for producing a significant portion of the Earth's oxygen.

Zoonosis: A disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans, often through direct contact or through vectors such as mosquitoes.

Bad Glossary Example

Stuff about genes: Changes that aren't really changes but still change things.

Little ocean plants: Tiny things in the sea that do something important with air.

Animal sickness: Diseases you can get from animals, but it's complicated.

Illuminating Your Research

A well-constructed Glossary is a testament to the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of your research endeavor. By adhering to the outlined do's and don'ts and aiming for the clarity and accessibility exemplified in the first example, your Glossary can significantly enhance the readability and impact of your thesis. Let your Glossary serve not just as a list of terms but as a bridge that connects your readers to your scholarly work's core concepts and innovations, ensuring that your research is accessible and engaging to all who delve into its pages.

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Glossary Of A Dissertation – Definition & Guide

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A dissertation is more than just a piece of narrative prose that guides readers through your research: It’s a sum of many distinct components that all make a vital contribution toward providing a complete contextual picture of the work that you have done. In this article, we will delve into the importance of a glossary, its role, and its structure in enhancing comprehension and effective communication in academic writing .

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Glossary – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: Glossary
• 3 Citing sources for a glossary
• 4 5 tips for writing an effective glossary
• 5 Other lists aside from the glossary
• 6 Example of a glossary

Glossary – In a Nutshell

There is more nuance involved with producing a glossary than one might expect. To aid with this, this article shows:

• How to construct helpful definitions for your readers and explain the benefits of the glossary
• Other types of lists that might be useful when writing your dissertation.
• Some of the most frequent questions, to really round out your understanding.

Definition: Glossary

Put simply, a glossary is a list of non-standard (i.e., technical or subject-specific) terms that you have used in your writing. They will be accompanied by an explanatory definition to add clarity for your readers, whilst also broadening your potential audience by reducing the barriers to entry that such language can often pose.

Take a look at the two examples below to see what we mean:

• Bedrock: The layer of solid rock found underneath looser layers of gravel, soil, etc.
• Phoneme : The individual sounds in a language that distinguish different words from one another

Citing sources for a glossary

Generally speaking, you do not need to provide citations for your glossary entries, as definitions are considered to be a part of our shared “ common knowledge “.

You may find, however, that you reference the definition in-text to provide a more explicit elaboration of a given point.

• Merriam-Webster. (2003). Litmus test. In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (11th ed., p. 727).

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5 tips for writing an effective glossary

The following delves into 5 helpful tips to write a dissertation glossary:

Meet your audience’s needs

As briefly alluded to, the content of the glossary should be shaped by your audience’s familiarity with the subject area.

Whilst you don’t want to under-explain the terms used in your dissertation, you should also be mindful of spending time and space explaining things that your readers require no clarification on.

Use plain language

K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid!

Glossary entries should not include terms that also warrant defining. You don’t want to trap your readers in an infinite definition loop!

Don’t use the word in the definition

A glossary definition is useless if somebody needs to already know the word’s meaning to understand it.

Refer back to the point above, again and again!

Provide pronunciation tips

Explaining how the word is pronounced (whether through basic transcription or use of the IPA symbols) vastly increases the readability of your text.

This, in turn, helps your readers strengthen their understanding of the terms you’ve used.

Include synonyms, antonyms & examples

All of these can build out that invaluable context that helps your readers grasp what is often a very specific meaning.

Don’t be afraid to lean on the synonym posts on BachelorPrint for help here!

Other lists aside from the glossary

At the outset, we referenced a number of component parts that make up the dissertation and will go a little more in-depth on a couple of those here.

One list you will almost certainly want to include is the index, which breaks down key topics/themes/terms in your paper by the page(s) they appear on, allowing more casual readers to quickly identify the most relevant sections for their perusal.

Another would be the list of tables, figures, and illustrations used throughout your dissertation (if applicable). This is yet another way of making your paper into a more holistic piece of work that is more accessible to a wider audience.

Example of a glossary

Below is an example of how a glossary of a dissertation may look like.

What is a glossary?

The term refers to a reference list of words that readers may not be familiar with.

It is derived from the Latin gloss, which means “word inserted as an explanation, translation, or definition”.

Where does a glossary go?

It will typically be included at the end as an appendix to the main body text, before the list of works cited.

Is a glossary mandatory?

No, but it’s certainly recommended if you’re using complex terminology.

If you find yourself drawing upon only a few such terms, you may prefer to include the definitions as footnotes instead, assuming that your style guide allows them.

What should I include in a glossary?

There’s no hard and fast ruling here: the decision should be guided for the most part by your intended audience and how much knowledge of the subject-specific language they may or may not have.

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Using Specialised Terminology and Jargon in PhD Theses

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Oct 28, 2021 | PhD Success | 0 |

5.3 Specialised Terminology and Jargon

Specialised or discipline-specific terminology is often necessary in a thesis because it can communicate with a precision that other words simply cannot manage, and doctoral candidates are expected to use the current terminology associated with their fields and disciplines. It is essential, however, to understand such language fully, to use it in clear and accurate ways and to use it only when it is necessary and effective, not simply because you can. Remember that discipline-specific terminology can be incredibly exclusive, and while it can come across as learned and sophisticated when used well, if used incorrectly, it creates a very different effect, so it should always be used thoughtfully and with great care. Your supervisor, committee members and external examiner will most likely be familiar with the specialised terminology associated with your discipline and topic, but not always and not with all terms, and your thesis may ultimately reach readers who will not understand all the specialised terminology associated with your discipline.

As a sound and common scholarly practice, then, any technical or specialised terms used in a thesis should be presented clearly and defined at least briefly on first use. It can also be helpful to explain the ideas behind any specialised terminology with precision and as thoroughly as necessary to allow readers to understand the significance of that terminology in relation to the methodology of your study and the argument of your thesis. The title and abstract in particular should be as accessible as possible even to general readers, because these parts of a thesis will ultimately be available in search engines (see Sections 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 3.5.1 and 4.2, and see also Section 6.1). Any abbreviations of specialised terminology should be used with the same precision as the original terms (see Section 6.3), and if a list or table is used to define terms or outline categories of any kind, special care should be taken to ensure that those terms and categories appear in exactly the same forms elsewhere in the thesis: readers will tend to return to such lists and tables for help if anything does prove confusing, so it is essential that the information in lists and tables provides clarity and resolution in relation to the terms and categories used in the thesis (see Section 4.4.1 and Section 5.5.2).

It is imperative that you do not use specialised terminology of any kind – technical or theoretical terms, for example – as a substitute for explaining ideas clearly and developing a logical argument. No matter how specialised or descriptive, the terminology will not do the work on its own, so in the harshest definition, such an approach is simply unsound scholarship and it is certainly unacceptable in scholarly writing. Some students may think that all the obscure terminology they have acquired will appear learned and lend that appearance to their theses, but more often such use of terminology will lead to an assumption among readers that an author does not know how to construct a true argument and also does not fully understand the language he or she is using.

Every thesis must present and develop an argument, no matter how simple or complex, and the best scholarly writing demonstrates not just a proficiency in using specialised terminology to communicate rather than obfuscate, but also a deep understanding of the ideas behind the terminology and an ability to explain those ideas effectively for readers while taking them (both ideas and readers) in new directions. It can be difficult, however, to determine when and where your terminology is supporting or conversely undermining your writing, especially if you are working in a discipline in which a large number of specialised terms, symbols, abbreviations and the like are absolutely necessary. Your supervisor and other committee members should be able to help you with striking the right balance with discipline-specific language, and if you are unsure of your usage and find that you receive no commentary on it, it is always better to ask and ensure you are on the right track than assume that all is well. Fellow students in your area and/or a professional academic or scientific proofreader might also prove helpful in this regard.

Closely related to specialised terminology is the jargon peculiar to a profession, field of study or context. Such jargon often includes specialised vocabulary, but also tends to use convoluted syntax or awkward word order and can prove to be unintelligible (or very nearly so) to readers. For instance, ‘a low young voter turnout election’ is simply poor English and not nearly as effective for communicating the author’s meaning as ‘an election with a low turnout of young voters.’ Jargon-rich language often arises when authors are so immersed in their respective fields of study (as is the case when working on a thesis) that they are unaware of their failure to communicate clearly in plain English, even to many in their own fields, so do keep your eyes attuned to this possibility as you proofread your chapters. Occasionally, jargon appears to be used deliberately to create an impression of learnedness or mystique. If you find yourself tempted to use jargon in this way, it is worth reflecting on the fact that the word ‘jargon’ is often defined in dictionaries as ‘meaningless writing,’ ‘vague language’ or ‘gibberish,’ and a doctoral candidate should have none of these forms of language in his or her thesis.

If readers do not understand what they are reading, any impression of the author’s learning that might be achieved through the use of jargon (and it seems doubtful to me that jargon could have this effect in any case) becomes frustrating instead of impressive, and while mystique certainly has its proper place, it is not in a carefully written doctoral thesis. It is therefore essential to avoid jargon or keep it to a bare minimum, and, if some jargon does prove necessary, to ensure that it is presented in as accessible a manner as possible with the meaning defined or explained on first use. Another kind of jargon is that used for social networking and other informal online communication: such abbreviated and often incorrect language is never appropriate for a thesis, so unless you are directly quoting and discussing such material, it should be strictly avoided.

Although words and phrases from foreign languages are not exactly specialised terminology, they do tend to be used in discipline-specific ways (in biological nomenclature, for example, and textual studies) and should be treated in special ways. For one, unless the words and phrases are already naturalised in the English language or are directly quoted and thus enclosed in quotation marks, they should appear in italic font. Like specialised terminology, words and phrases in foreign languages should be defined if not obvious so that readers will be able to follow the argument effectively, and this means translating them into English. Translations can vary significantly from the most literal to the most creative depending on exactly what you want your readers to understand when the word or phrase is used, and variant translations along with discussions of their significance may also be included in a thesis. The formatting used to provide words and phrases in foreign languages along with English translations should be both effective and consistent. When the foreign word or phrase appears in italics, for instance, the translation can be set either in quotation marks or parentheses, and when the original word or phrase appears in quotation marks, italics or parentheses might be used for the translation.

The following four examples demonstrate these different techniques, and notice that the translation in parentheses in the final example can be included inside or outside the quotation marks:

• sed noli modo , meaning ‘but not now’
• sed noli modo (but not now)
• ‘sed noli modo,’ meaning but not now
• ‘sed noli modo’ (but not now) or ‘sed noli modo (but not now)’

Whatever method you adopt for presenting foreign terms and their translations, it is essential to maintain consistency throughout your thesis. For further advice on using and formatting foreign languages in English writing, see Sections 6.2, 7.3.4 and 8.4 below; for more detailed information, see Butcher et al. (2006, Section 6.6, pp.246–247 and Appendices 5, 7, 9 and 10), the Chicago Manual of Style (2003, Chapter 10) and Ritter (2005, Chapter 12).

PRS Tip: Attending to the numerous details involved in using British or American spelling, effective hyphenation and specialised terminology correctly and consistently while simultaneously presenting complex content accurately and maintaining a sophisticated argument can be more than a handful even for experienced scholars who have mastered the writing of scholarly English. For doctoral candidates who are composing their first lengthy piece of academic or scientific work, it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, PRS uses professional proofreaders trained in a wide variety of disciplines and well versed in all the technicalities of scholarly writing. They can check, correct and generally improve these elements of your proposal and thesis chapters, ensuring that your spelling adheres to British or American English (and is simply correct throughout your work), that your use of hyphens expresses your meaning (and reflects acceptable usage more generally) and that your use of discipline-specific terminology (indeed of all terminology) enhances your meaning and communicates clearly and effectively with an educated reader. It is always wise to resolve any problems associated with such elements of your prose early in the thesis process so that you can practise correct usage patterns when drafting later chapters and save yourself extensive revisions (and a great deal of time and effort) further down the road. Perhaps you have drafted an early chapter that is causing you particular worry because you are just not sure whether you are using discipline-specific terminology effectively or conforming to British or American English consistently. If so, do not hesitate to send your chapter to PRS along with any guidelines you are following – there is no time like the present to benefit from the expert advice of a professional scholarly proofreader.

Why PhD Success?

To Graduate Successfully

This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.

The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.

The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations. 

Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.

Interested in Proofreading your PhD Thesis? Get in Touch with us

If you are interested in proofreading your PhD thesis or dissertation, please explore our expert dissertation proofreading services.

Rene Tetzner

Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.

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Enter the Glossators

While I was in Canada I got an email from Agnes who is finishing the writing part of her PhD. After some kind words about the blog she got down to business:

“… I have a question to you that I could not find an answer to elsewhere. I am now writing up my PhD work and organising the ‘front matter’ section as well. Some of the theses and articles I have seen included a glossary in the front matter. These concise descriptions of the main terms of the piece always seemed so smart and put together; a sign that the authors knew exactly what and how they wanted to communicate.

I know that a glossary should include the most important terms and phrases used in an alphabetical order, especially if they are used in an unusual way. But I have not found any strategic guidelines on how to do it well, or whether it is really a good idea to write it at all…”

I was travelling and only responding to urgent messages, so I filed Agnes’s message in Omnifocus and promptly forgot about it until it appeared on my to do list yesterday. I thought answering this email would be simple. I went straight to my favourite blogs on writing – Patter, Explorations in Style and Doctoral Writing Sig. None of them had anything specific on glossaries, so I did some Googling. Agnes was right – lots of descriptions of glossaries, but no ‘how to’.

Frustrated now, I went to my bookshelf which is bulging with just about every book you can imagine on writing. Here, take a look:

“… this [law] literature began with mere interlinear or marginal glosses elucidating the meaning of words, and in its final stage produced great critical apparatuses or commentaries, consisting of extensive and continuous glosses on an entire collection of laws, which strive to capture not only the meaning of each word but the sense of the [original] text and the legislator’s intention”

• Are you using a lot of terms not common in your field or area?
• Is your project cross disciplinary in flavour? Do you import concepts or methods from elsewhere?
• Are you using multiple terms or phrases to mean similar things?
• Are some phrases or terms very similar in spelling and/or construction and thus potentially confusing?
• Are you using a large number of acronyms?
• Are there places, people or things that reoccur and need to be explained (remember, you can include different kinds of glossaries for this – for instance, a biographical index or list of places)

If you answered ‘yes’ to most of these questions your thesis would benefit from a glossary.

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The Thesis Whisperer is written by Professor Inger Mewburn, director of researcher development at The Australian National University . New posts on the first Wednesday of the month. Subscribe by email below. Visit the About page to find out more about me, my podcasts and books. I'm on most social media platforms as @thesiswhisperer. The best places to talk to me are LinkedIn , Mastodon and Threads.

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