HOW TO MAKE FIELD NOTES (8th Grade)

HOW TO MAKE FIELD NOTES

Your objective is to create an accurate written record of your field activities, investigations,
observations and thoughts. You should record date and location information in a
very detailed manner so that others can know exactly when, where, and under what
conditions your work was done. This will enable you or others to return to the same
areas in the future to verify findings and observe changes over time.

GENERAL FORMAT

Follow this format in your field notes:
1. Field notes should be divided into two sections: Journal and Species Accounts
2. Write on one side of the paper. Leave a generous left margin as shown in the examples.
3. Write your name in the upper left-hand corner
4. Write the year in the upper right-hand corner underneath your name.
5. Write the day and month in the upper left margin.
6. Write “Journal” in the top margin of your journal pages, and the name of the species
in the top margin of your species account pages.
7. Write in complete sentences and paragraphs. You can think of field notes as a letter
to a friend or relative explaining what you saw. Or think of them as a letter to someone
visiting the area 20 years later who is unfamiliar with the area.

FOR THE JOURNAL SECTION:

1. Put a heading on the top line of each page which identifies your location. You
should include specific site, city, county and state. Underline the heading. (Joseph
Grinnell underlined his location with a wavy line.)
2. Note the purpose of the trip (Why?)
3. Note who went on the trip with you (Who?).
4. Note the time of day of each important observation (When?).
5. Information about the places you visit should be written so that someone unfamiliar
with the area can find your exact location using maps and your description. Tell where
you started and where you went. Include what road or trail you walked on, or the
general route you took if you did not follow a road. (Where?).
6. Include notes on the weather, elevation, topography, geology, soil, water, vegetation
types, plant phenology (what life stage they are in), and evidence of disturbance (fire,
grazing, cultivation, etc.) (What?).
7. Be accurate. If you have to guess about something, identify your guess as a guess. It
is appropriate to speculate about things and to ask questions. Do include your feelings,
intuitions and thoughts! Just be sure you don’t mislead a reader into thinking your
thoughts are facts!
8. Be detailed and quantify your data as much as possible. “Saw some ducks on the
pond” is not as useful as “saw 12 pintail (7 males and 5 females) on the southeast end
of Olcott Lake about 5 m from the shore.”
9. Sketches and drawings can be very useful. Rough sketches and diagrams add details
and depth to your notes.
10. You may take temporary notes on a smaller field notebook, then transcribe your
notes into your permanent journal. You should transcribe as soon as possible after you
leave the field, and always the same day as your trip.

SPECIES ACCOUNTS

1. Create a page for each species you observe. This is the place for more detailed
descriptions and observations of an individual or group of one particular species.
Include sights, sounds, smells, textures, patterns, sizes, shapes, colors, and movements.
Include numbers of individuals, sizes, frequencies and behaviors.