Templates & Checklists
Use these as working documents for supervision. They are not extra assignments unless your programme or supervisor asks for them; they are compact ways to turn a topic into something that can be discussed, revised, and assessed.
Fill Out a Template
Nothing is submitted through this page. Use the buttons to keep a browser draft, copy the text, download a Markdown file, or print a meeting copy.
How To Use These
Pick the template that matches your current problem. Keep each one short enough that your supervisor can read it before a meeting.
- If you are still choosing a topic, use the Research Question Memo
- If your project is taking shape, use the Thesis Proposal Outline
- If you are reading heavily but not yet writing, use the Literature Review Matrix
- If you are collecting sources, data, or texts, use the Data / Corpus Plan
- Before supervision meetings, use the Supervision Meeting Packet
- After receiving comments, use the Feedback and Revision Log
- If you use AI or code tools, use the GenAI Methods Note
- Before submission, use the Final Submission Checklist
Research Question Memo
Purpose: Bring this to an early supervision meeting when you need help narrowing a topic into a researchable question.
| Field | Working Answer |
|---|---|
| Topic area | |
| Case, region, corpus, or population | |
| Time period | |
| Research problem | |
| Provisional research question | |
| Why this question matters academically | |
| Key literature or debate | |
| Likely sources or data | |
| Likely method | |
| Main feasibility concern | |
| Decision needed from supervisor |
Quality check:
- The question can be answered within the thesis word count and deadline
- The question names a clear object of analysis
- The question can be answered with sources or data you can realistically access
- The question points toward a method, not just a topic
- The expected answer is not already obvious
Thesis Proposal Outline
Purpose: Turn the memo into a proposal or proposal draft.
- Tentative title
- Research question
- Research problem and motivation
- Academic debate Identify the literature, disagreement, gap, or unresolved problem your thesis enters.
- Contribution State what your thesis may add: a case, source base, comparison, interpretation, method, or empirical finding.
- Research design Explain case selection, corpus boundaries, data/source selection, and method.
- Materials List the primary sources, secondary sources, dataset, archive, interviews, media texts, policy documents, or other evidence.
- Ethics and data considerations Note human participants, sensitive data, privacy risks, protected materials, data storage, and any planned AI/code assistance.
- Chapter outline Give a provisional structure with one sentence per chapter.
- Timeline Work backward from your programme deadline.
- Questions for supervision List the 2-4 decisions where you need guidance.
Before sending it: Check the proposal requirements on your programme page and in Brightspace.
Literature Review Matrix
Purpose: Keep reading connected to the research question instead of building an annotated bibliography that is hard to use.
| Source | Debate / Topic | Main Claim | Method / Evidence | How It Helps My Thesis | Limitation / Question |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Synthesis prompts:
- Which sources define the main debate?
- Which sources disagree with one another?
- Which concepts or theories recur?
- Which methods are commonly used?
- What is missing, underdeveloped, or contested?
- What does my thesis need to show before the reader will accept my argument?
Data / Corpus Plan
Purpose: Make source collection transparent before analysis begins.
| Field | Working Answer |
|---|---|
| Research question | |
| Unit of analysis | |
| Corpus/data type | |
| Source locations | |
| Inclusion criteria | |
| Exclusion criteria | |
| Expected size | |
| Language(s) | |
| File naming convention | |
| Metadata fields | |
| Storage and backup plan | |
| Quality checks | |
| Ethical/privacy risks | |
| AI/code tools planned | |
| Disclosure needed |
Minimum metadata fields:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
id |
kr_news_2026_001 |
title |
|
author_or_source |
|
date |
|
language |
|
source_url_or_archive |
|
collection_date |
|
document_type |
news article, speech, policy document, interview transcript |
included |
yes / no |
exclusion_reason |
duplicate, outside date range, inaccessible, not relevant |
notes |
Quality checks:
- Sample collected files against the original sources
- Check empty, duplicate, corrupted, or mislabelled files
- Record every filter, search query, and exclusion rule
- Keep raw files separate from cleaned or translated files
- Discuss any planned machine translation, scraping, AI, or coding assistance with your supervisor
Supervision Meeting Packet
Purpose: Make supervision meetings decision-focused.
Send a compact packet before the meeting if your supervisor requests materials in advance.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Meeting date | |
| Current thesis stage | topic / proposal / literature review / data collection / analysis / drafting / revision |
| Work completed since last meeting | |
| Main problem to discuss | |
| Decisions needed | |
| Material attached or linked | |
| Specific feedback requested | |
| Deadline pressure or risk |
Good supervision questions:
- Is the research question narrow enough for this thesis?
- Is this source base sufficient and appropriate?
- Does the method match the question?
- Which part of the literature review is still too descriptive?
- Which claim in this draft needs stronger evidence?
- What should I prioritize before the next deadline?
Feedback and Revision Log
Purpose: Track what changed after feedback and what still needs a decision.
| Date | Feedback / Issue | Source | Action Taken | Status | Follow-up Question |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| supervisor / peer / self-review | open / done / deferred | ||||
| supervisor / peer / self-review | open / done / deferred |
Use this when:
- You receive detailed comments on a draft
- You need to show how you handled earlier feedback
- You are deciding what to revise first
- You are preparing a resubmission or final revision
GenAI Methods Note
Purpose: Document permitted AI/code assistance without making it sound like the tool produced the thesis.
Use this only for AI or code assistance that has been discussed with your supervisor and is allowed under the relevant conditions.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Tool and version | |
| Date(s) used | |
| Task | file organization / conversion / cleaning / coding support / grammar support / translation / documentation |
| Why the task was appropriate | |
| What material was entered into the tool | |
| Protected material excluded | |
| Prompt or script location | |
| Output location | |
| Manual checks performed | |
| Errors corrected | |
| What was not delegated | interpretation, argument, final claims, source evaluation |
Short disclosure model:
I used [tool/version] to assist with [specific procedural task]. I checked the output by [manual verification]. No confidential, personal, or protected source material was entered into the tool. The prompts/scripts and outputs are stored in [location]. The interpretation, argument, and final claims are my own.
Adjust this wording to your actual use and citation style. Follow the Faculty GenAI guidance on disclosure and citation.
Final Submission Checklist
Purpose: Catch avoidable submission problems before the deadline.
Programme Requirements
- Confirm the final deadline, time, and submission route in Brightspace or your programme materials
- Confirm the word-count rule for your programme
- Confirm required file format and file naming rules
- Confirm who must receive the final version
- Confirm whether repository upload is required before or after assessment
Thesis File
- Title page includes required student and thesis information
- Word count is stated and calculated according to programme rules
- Table of contents matches headings and page numbers
- Citations and bibliography use one style consistently
- Figures, tables, appendices, and translations are labelled clearly
- Any GenAI/code/tool assistance is disclosed as required
- Any ethics, consent, anonymization, or data-storage commitments are reflected in the methods section
- PDF opens correctly and is not a scanned image unless explicitly required
- File size is below the programme limit, if one is stated
Before Sending
- Search the document for comments, tracked changes, placeholders, and missing references
- Check quotations against the original source
- Check that all bibliography entries are cited, and all cited works appear in the bibliography
- Check page numbers, captions, appendix labels, and cross-references
- Keep a local copy of exactly what you submitted
Programme-Specific Reminders
| Programme | Submission Reminder |
|---|---|
| BAIS | Follow Brightspace/supervisor instructions and email or CC bathesis@hum.leidenuniv.nl as required |
| BAKS | Submit both Word and PDF versions to the supervisor by email with bathesis@hum.leidenuniv.nl in CC, unless Brightspace gives updated instructions |
| MAAS | Email the final thesis to your supervisor, second reader, and MAthesis@hum.leidenuniv.nl |
| MAIR | Email the final thesis to your supervisor with your second reader in CC and ask for confirmation of receipt |
After Sending
- Save the sent email or upload confirmation
- If confirmation is required and does not arrive, follow up
- After a passing grade, complete any Student Thesis Repository upload required for graduation