Fieldnotes

'The concept of "I am a fieldnote" or "I am the research instrument" focuses on the self in qualitative research (Pezalla, Pettigrew, & Miller-Day, 2012). Researchers bring their personal milieu and values, which demonstrates subjectivity and relationships between insider/outsider and researcher/participant, further noting that some see this as strength; others see it as a weakness.' (Draper & Swift, 2011).' (Fusch et a. 2017: 927)

'So one of the things that we do is we do an exercise in evocation of space. How do you, how do you describe space sensuously so that the reader gets a sense of what's it like to be in that space, right? And I also say, and one of the things I say is what's important is to treat space as if it were alive, a sensuous, a sentient entity. And Keith Bathurst talks about this in Wisdom Sits in Places a lot, that each space has its own story. It has its own existence, right? Which is meaningful. And when you think about ethnography, one of the things that ethnography does more than one of its great gifts is that it gives the reader, or it should, a sense of locality. What is it like to live in this space? And in order to do that, you need to, what does this space smell like? How does it, obviously, how does it look? How does it, how does it, what does it sound like? What are the important sounds in the space? And then is, what kind of memories are embedded in the space?' (Stoller, 2023 (b): 23mins)

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How to Write Ethnographic Fieldnotes

Writing ethnographic fieldnotes is an important part of research, they help you remember what you see and experience.

Main Components of Fieldnotes

Date, Time, and Place: Start with the date, time, and location. This helps you remember when and where you made your observations. Your location will, of course, be your 3x3m what3words.com site.

Descriptive Details: Write specific facts about what happens, who is there, and the environment. If people are present, describe them and their actions. You can also draw in a descriptive way if you want to.

Sensory Impressions: Include what you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. These details make your observations richer.

Place and Space: Describe the place or an object within the space as if it is alive, 'as if it has absorbed memories—a vault of memories. Don’t describe too many details, just enough to trigger the reader’s imagination.' (Stoller: https://cas-e.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/CAS-E_Workshop_Stoller_Outline-1.pdf)

Personal Reflections: Add your thoughts and feelings about what you see. Reflect on any insights you gain.

Dialogue and Interaction: Capture conversations accurately. Use direct quotes or summarise important points.

Context and Background: Provide information about the setting and people. This helps explain your observations better.

Tips for Writing Fieldnotes

Be Accurate: Practice to improve accuracy. You only get one chance to observe a moment, so capture details well.
Be Organized: Use headings and subheadings to keep notes structured.
Be Descriptive: Use vivid language to describe actions and settings.
Focus on the Research Problem: Keep research questions in mind and note relevant observations.
Record Insights and Thoughts: Alongside observations, note any insights or questions you have.

Example Structure of a quick fieldnote

Heading:

   Date: Jan 29th, 2024

   Time: 12:20 PM

   Location: ///laying.calls.cried Edinburgh Airport

A Descriptive Note:

"The concourse is active. About 50 people are coming and going through the doors. There are a few groups travelling together."

A Sensory Impression:

"The smell of coffee from inside the airport is strong. The ground is wet and appears to be icing up."

A Place, A Memory:

"A rhythmic, rolling hum blended with a staccato rattling. The echo of hard rubber punctuated by the occasional clatter of seams. The trolley bag wheel has a 50 cm memory."

A Personal Reflection:

"I feel how transient it is here. Everyone seems to be moving through.

Some Dialogue and Interaction:

"A woman in a red puffer coat tells her friend, 'I'm here every week. It's like a second home.'"

Some Context and Background:

"The concourse sits between the Airport and the Tram stop. The space is filled with huge sculpture letters spelling 'EDINBURGH'.

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This is a very basic fieldnote but it captures something of a moment spent in the field (this site ///laying.calls.cried)

The more you write fieldnotes, the better you will get at it.

Writing fieldnotes is something of an artform. There are a number of studies of famous anthropologist's fieldnotebooks that will give you an insight into how subtile and effective a method it can be. (See: below) Michael Taussig's I Swear I Saw This : Drawings in Fieldwork Notebooks, Namely My Own is recommended reading in this respect.

To gain insight into how ethnographic fieldwork involves working with all of the senses, listen to: Wisdom from the Edge: Writing Ethnography in Turbulent Times With Paul Stoller, This Anthro Life, Nov. 1, 2023

https://www.thisanthrolife.org/wisdom-from-the-edge-writing-ethnography-in-turbulent-times-with-paul-stoller/

Resource List for Fieldnotes: https://eu01.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/leganto/public/44UOE_INST/lists/49829741990002466?auth=SAML&section=52990760060002466

References:

Froystad, K. 1997. ‘Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes - Emerson,RM, Fretz,RI, Shaw,LL’. LONDON: Sage.

Fusch, P. I., Fusch, G. E., & Ness, L. R. (2017). How to Conduct a Mini-Ethnographic Case Study: A Guide for Novice Researchers. The Qualitative Report, 22(3), 923-941. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2580   Jackson, J. E. (1990). I am a fieldnote: Fieldnotes as a symbol of professional identity. In R. Sanjek (Ed.), Fieldnotes: The making of anthropology (pp. 3-33). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Pandian, Anand, and Stuart J McLean. 2017. Crumpled Paper Boat: Experiments in Ethnographic Writing. North Carolina: Duke University Press.   Sanjek, Roger. 1990. ‘The Secret Life of Fieldnotes’. In Fieldnotes - the Makings of Anthropology, 187–272.

Sharman, Russell Leigh. 2007. ‘Style Matters: Ethnography as Method and Genre’. Anthropology and Humanism 32 (2): 117–29. https://doi.org/10.1525/ahu.2007.32.2.117.

Stoller, Paul. 2023 (a). “Imaging Knowledge: ARTFUL VISION IN SLOW RESEARCH.” In Wisdom from the Edge, 29–43. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501770883-005.

Stoller, Paul. 2023 (b). Nov. 1, 2023 Wisdom from the Edge: Writing Ethnography in Turbulent Times With Paul Stoller, This Anthro Life, https://www.thisanthrolife.org/wisdom-from-the-edge-writing-ethnography-in-turbulent-times-with-paul-stoller/

Taussig, Michael. 2011. I Swear I Saw This : Drawings in Fieldwork Notebooks, Namely My Own. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.