Field Notes

Good science is all about collecting good data. But how to collect data in the field? We’ve got you covered.

Field notes are a compilation of observation notes and photographs/drawings from, well, the field – the place where you’re conducting your scientific study. They’re used by scientists and naturalists to track different organisms in order to develop theories that will focus or further develop their scientific research.

The notes consist of qualitative, quantitative and general observations about individual organisms in a natural area and rough sketches help understand the organisms, as well as their relationship to their environment. It’s basically a journal of nature relationships!

Include the following:

Photograph/draw, describe & record the number of sightings you have for each species you find at your research site.
Photograph or sketch a picture of the entire area you are studying.
Add any additional observations (species behaviour, say) to your field notes while at your research site.
Note the date, temperature, season and other general information about the field study situation, including any human structures or signs of impact on the landscape.
Write down any questions you have that will require further research. This can help inform the focus of your scientific study.

Questions to answer post field work:

Were there any species that you thought you would see, but didn’t?
What was the most significant observation you noted?
What were you most surprised to see? Least surprised?
How many species did you need to look up to identify?
Were any of the species you recorded endangered? Invasive?
Do you think that the location you observed is high or low in biodiversity?
Find the scientific name for five species you identified.

Pinteresting! Dichotomous Key & Identifying Species

Tips:

Bring a field guide for vegetation, birds and other mammals to help with species identification or download an app that helps with identification (if there’s mobile service at your research site).
Reach out to local naturalists and elders for advice or, if possible, to help on-site with species identification.
Bring a hat and sunscreen and water!
Do some presearch (aka pre-research) to understand what types of plants and animals are in the area.
Make sure you have several pencils and lots of space in your notebook, or record all of your information on your phone and covert it into a digital journal (blog) when your field work is complete.
Bring your phone along to snap photos of interesting or unidentifiable species for postsearch (aka post-research).
Know if you have any allergies and be safe.
Know if any poisonous plants or animals exist in the area you will be working and make sure you can identify them. Should we add, DON’T TOUCH THEM! Poison ivy is terrible, as we know all too well.
Bring a magnifying glass or other tools that may help you find different species that are less noticeable to the eye.