Fieldnote

Fieldnote is a contemporaneous record kept by researchers during fieldwork to capture observations, measurements, conversations, and early interpretations. Fieldnotes provide an evidentiary foundation for later analysis and reporting, complementing formal methods and instruments. They are typically less polished than final publications and emphasize traceability of what was observed and how conclusions arose.

Fields include anthropology, ethnography, biology, ecology, geology, archaeology, linguistics, and environmental science. Common elements include date, time, location, weather, observer(s), project objective, methods, and context. Entries describe organisms, landscapes, artifacts, or participants; they may include sketches, maps, specimen data, measurements, and verbatim quotes. Many notebooks separate field observations from interpretive remarks or hypotheses, and entries are often dated and sequential to show development over time.

In practice, fieldnotes are later expanded, transcribed, or coded for analysis and reporting. They raise ethical considerations, such as confidentiality and informed consent, and are stored according to institutional guidelines. With digital technologies, fieldnotes may be typed on tablets, augmented with photographs or audio recordings, and backed up in electronic archives. The tradition of detailed field notetaking dates to natural history and social science fieldwork and remains a foundational skill for documenting empirical work.