Veldokumentert

Veldokumentert is a term used in Norwegian to denote information or data that has been collected directly in the field, rather than in a laboratory or from secondary sources. It encompasses observations, measurements, samples, and qualitative information gathered in situ with attention to provenance, context, and temporal detail.

Practices associated with veldokumentert include maintaining field notes, keeping metadata, taking photographs or videos, recording GPS coordinates, and collecting physical samples. Documentation often links to a formal data management plan, enabling traceability from field entry to analysis, and supports reproducibility by recording methods, instruments, and conditions.

The concept is frequently contrasted with laboratory-documented data. Field documentation provides ecological validity and context but can introduce biases due to observers, conditions, and limited sample sizes. Rigorous veldokumentert work seeks to mitigate these limitations through standardized methods, transparent reporting, and comprehensive metadata.

Veldokumentert is applied across disciplines such as ecology, archaeology, anthropology, geology, hydrology, and natural-history research. Examples include field-observed species distributions, archaeological site inventories with precise coordinates, ethnographic field notes, and field-based environmental measurements.