havaintokuvan

Havaintokuvan is a Finnish term referring to a visual representation created from an observation. The word is formed from havainto (observation) and kuva (image), and the base noun is havaintokuva; the genitive singular is havaintokuvan and the plural is havaintokuvien.

Usage of the term generally appears in scientific and scholarly contexts to denote a picture or drawing that records what was observed during fieldwork, experiments, or routine monitoring. A havaintokuvan can take the form of a photograph, a sketch, a diagram, or another visual record. Its purpose is to document and communicate observed phenomena, supporting analysis, comparison, or replication, and the concept emphasizes the link between the image and the observer’s experience rather than interpretation alone.

Havaintokuvan is related to, but distinct from, purely theoretical or imagined imagery. It functions as evidence of actual observation and can be used across disciplines such as biology, geology, meteorology, and ethnography. It complements written notes by providing a visual supplement that can aid in understanding and later review.

See also: havainto, kuva, valokuva, piirustus, diagrammi, havaintotieto.