Field Notes

 

 

The field notes that you take for this class are vital to your final project. It is critical that you record objective facts and details as well as your reactions, thoughts, and responses to these facts. You should develop a system of field notes that is comfortable for you and easy for you to work with. You might need to develop a system of shorthand or some abbreviations for yourself so that you can write more quickly. It is important that you sit down with your notes after each visit to your site for 20-30 minutes. In this time, you should read through the observations you have made, add reflections when ideas occur to you, and make sure you (and your instructor and group members) will be able to read your notes in the future. The following are things that can be included in your field notes:

 

-         Specific facts, numbers, details (i.e. signs, notices, number of people present, d¨¦cor)

-         Sensory impressions (sights, sounds, textures, smells, tastes ¨C be vivid)

-          The response of the members of the subculture to you (Do they notice you? Do they approach you?)

-         Quotes that seem important

-          Summaries of conversations

-          Insider terms (reserving a page in your notebook just for insider terms and definitions is a good ideas)

-         Questions about people and behaviors you see and want to investigate on future visits

-         Your thoughts, feelings, opinions, responses

-          Any possible meanings, patterns, issues, problems or tensions that occur to you

-         How do the members of your subculture interact with each other (formal, rowdy, cautious, etc)

-         Physical description of the embers¡ªclothes, haircuts, accessories, habits, logos, music, etc¡ªsimilarities and differences

-         Notes on cultural artifacts

-         Possible interview questions or topics

-         Possible informants

-          Possible written sources, magazines, handbooks, guidelines, as well as web sources and library sources

-         Maps, diagrams, sketches

-         Interviews (the more interviews you gather, the more successful your project will probably be)

-         What is the overall impression or felling you get from this site

-         Basically, anything that happens, anything you see, hear, etc, anything that you think of or feel in response to your field site and subculture is fodder for your field notes.

 

Double-Entry Field Notes

-         Left-hand column records observable facts and details in the field site

-         Right-hand column records the researcher¡¯s subjective, reflexive responses to those facts and details

-         Subjective responses and interpretations from right-hand column can be expanded during reflections after you leave the field site

-         Examples of double-entry notes: P. 87.

 

Your field notes should not only be double entry, but also should:

-         Be 5-7 pages in length for each set.

-         Include date, time, and place of observation.

-         Include page numbers (either continuous page number or for each observation)

-         Be legible. Your field notes will probably be handwritten. However, they must be legible to others because you will be sharing them with your group as well as with me.

-         You must bring in both your original handwritten notes as well as a Xerox copy of them to hand in to me.

-         Field notes will be turned in four times throughout the semester. Please keep an eye on the calendar for Due Dates