Field notes

Field notes are written records of observations, conversations, and reflections gathered during research, often created close to the time and place of fieldwork.

Participant observation: A research method in which investigators take part in and observe the activities of a group. It produces notes that combine witnessed events with the researcher’s participation.
Ethnography: A method and written account of studying people and social life in context. Field notes are a foundational record in many ethnographic studies.
Ethnographic fieldwork: Immersive research conducted in the settings where people live and act. Researchers use notes to preserve everyday interactions observed during immersion.
Data provenance: The documented origin, history, and handling of data. Dates, locations, and authorship help establish how field records were produced.
Jottings: Brief, often fragmentary notes made during or soon after an event. They preserve immediate details that can later be expanded into fuller field records.
Qualitative research: Research that investigates meanings, experiences, and social processes using nonnumeric evidence. Field notes are one kind of evidence used in qualitative inquiry.
Ecological field study: Research that measures or observes organisms and environments in their natural settings. Field notes can capture conditions and behaviors that structured measurements miss.
Audit trail: A record of research decisions and procedures that supports transparency and review. Organized notes can show how interpretations developed from observations.
Thick description: A detailed account that explains the meanings and contexts of observed behavior. It turns recorded actions into interpretations grounded in local context.
Observation: The deliberate noticing and recording of events, behavior, or conditions. Observed details form a central component of field notes.

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