Fieldnotes

[1] It is best to record fieldnotes while making observations in the field or immediately after leaving the site to avoid forgetting important details.

[2] Fieldnotes are particularly valued in descriptive sciences such as ethnography, biology, ecology, geology, and archaeology, each of which has long traditions in this area.

In this case, Remsen was upset because of the multitudes of "eyes and ears" that could have supplied potentially important information for his bird surveys but instead remained with the observers.

Nature phone apps and digital citizen science databases (like eBird) are changing the form and frequency of field data collection and may contribute to de-emphasizing the importance of hand-written notes.

[2] Nigel Rapport, an anthropological field writer, said that fieldnotes are filled with the conventional realities of "two forms of life": local and academic.

An example of an ornithological fieldnote was reported by Remsen (1977) regarding a sighting of a Cassin's sparrow, a relatively rare bird for the region where it was found.

[2] The technique has four main parts: Methods for analyzing and integrating fieldnotes into qualitative or quantitative research are continuing to develop.

American social scientist Robert K. Yin recommended the following considerations as best practices when recording qualitative field notes.