Mémoire provisoire

08:49 May 18, 2016 

Hello Corette,
We have the academic discipline which is insufficient context alone.
Social science, sociology, ethics etc : professional ethics? philosophy?

Secondly, I don't quite understand the context you have posted.
You say it is not "memory". That makes sense as "memory" is "LA mémoire" (donc en rapport avec des capacités mnésiques, par exemple). "Memory" is a false friend for "mémoire". That leaves "UN mémoire", thus meaning "dissertation/thesis" in English.
The former is in the mind, the latter is an academic production in written form. The meaning of "mémoire" in French is resolved by the masculine/feminine. Note that the term "memoire" without an accent + in the plural, does exist in English and means written souvenirs of events, generally autobiographical.

Perhaps you could explain what context you have that makes you think this is an interim note, memorandum or planning memo of some sort. I am not familiar with that meaning of the French "mémoire".

When writing a "mémoire", it is common to present provisional versions to a professor for comment. If that is the meaning, then "dissertation" (if "licence", "master or "DU") or "thesis" (if PhD) is the way to go.

21:30 May 16, 2016 

Yes, more context please: it probably is a thesis, given the field, but it's impossible to know for sure without the surrounding sentences.

21:10 May 16, 2016 

Can you provide some more context please? E.g. Sentence before and after.