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Kinds of Field Notes[edit]
Field Note Chart
| Types of Field Notes | Brief Description |
|---|---|
| Jot Notes | Key words or phrases are written down while in the field. |
| Field Notes Proper | A description of the physical context and the people involved, including their behavior and nonverbal communication. |
| Methodological Notes | New ideas that the researcher has on how to carry out the research project. |
| Journals and Diaries | These notes record the ethnographer's personal reactions, frustrations, and assessments of life and work in the field. |
Jot notes[edit]
The first writing that is done typically consists of jotted or condensed notes. Thus, key words or phrases are written down while the researcher is in or very close to the field. Some researchers jot field notes openly in the presence of those being studied. Adopting this practice early on enables some researchers to find that they can establish a 'note-taker' role that will be accepted or at least tolerated by those being studied. However, some researchers find that people develop expectations of what should be recorded and what should not, which can intrude upon the work being done. Other ethnographers try to avoid taking notes in the middle of scenes and experiences and instead try to place themselves on the margins of scenes and events. Others strictly avoid writing anything in the presence of those being studied. They feel that such writing can overtly remind the participants that the researcher has different commitments and priorities. Such writing can also distract the researcher from what is happening in the immediate scene in which he or she is participating. Thus, many researchers choose to make jotted notes outside the presence of those being studied. They can retreat to bathrooms, stairwells and even closets in order to record events as jotted notes. Some therefore retreat to bathrooms or stairwells in order to do record field notes.[1]
Field Notes proper[edit]
There are three main points regarding field notes proper. First, converting jot notes into field notes should take place as soon as possible after the events take place. Secondly, field notes should be very detailed. Thus, included in field notes should be a description of the physical context and the people involved, including their behavior and nonverbal communication. Field notes should also use words that are as close as possible to the words used by the participants. Thirdly, field notes should include thoughts, impressions and explanations on the part of the researcher. In assessing the quality of field notes, the accuracy of the description and the level of detail are of utmost importance.[2]
Methodological Notes[edit]
These notes can contain new ideas that the researcher has on how to carry out the research project. Also included can be which methods are chosen, on what basis they were chosen, how they were carried out and the outcome of such methods. Methodological notes can be kept with field notes or they can filed separately. These also serve the researcher when later writing up the methods section of a report or paper.[2]
Journals and Diaries[edit]
Journals and diaries are written notes that record the ethnographer's personal reactions, frustrations, and assessments of life and work in the field. When constructed chronologically these journals provide a guide to the information in field notes and records.[3] One of the most well known diaries is that of Bronislaw Malinowski regarding his research among the Trobriand Islanders.[4] During her Pacific fieldwork Margaret Mead kept a diary and also wrote long letters to people at home which contained self reflection that might be included in a diary.
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One of the classic ethnographies in Sociology is the book Ain't No Makin' It: Aspirations & Attainment in a Low-Income Neighborhood by Jay MacLeod. The study addresses the reproduction of social inequality among low-income, male teenagers. The researcher spent time studying two groups of teenagers in a housing project in a Northeastern city of the United States. The study concludes that three different levels of analysis play their part in the reproduction of social inequality: the individual, the cultural, and the structural.[5]
- ^ Emerson, R. M., Fretz, R. I., & Shaw, L. L. (2001). "Participant Observation and Fieldnotes." In Paul Atkinson, Amanda Coffey, Sara Delamont, John Lofland, & Lyn Lofland (Eds.), Handbook of Ethnography. pp: 356-357. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
- ^ a b DeWalt, K. M., DeWalt, B. R. (2011). Participant Observation. pp: 165-168. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press. Cite error: The named reference "DeWalt" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Sanjek, Roger. (1990). "A Vocabulary for Fieldnotes." In Roger Sanjek (Ed.), Fieldnotes: The Makings of Anthropology. pp: 108. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
- ^ Malinowski, Bronislaw (1967). A Diary in the Strict Sense of the Term. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World.
- ^ MacLeod, Jay. (1995). Ain't No Makin' It: Aspirations & Attainment in a Low-Income Neighborhood. pp: 253. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.