Field Notes

Statement of Purpose

These links and documents contain information about best practices for field notes.

Contributors

Content generated during The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Annual Joint Meeting - 2016, during an iDigBio sponsored workshop by the following individuals participating in the "Field to Database" Group of the aforementioned workshop: Breda Zimkus, Cesar Aguilar, Ben Frable, Meredith Mahoney, Zachary Randall, and David Wernecke.

Recording medium

Best practice to have on paper; digital can be back-up

• Archival paper (acid free) and pens
• Photographs or computer entry of field notes as back-up
• Waterproof label paper for documentation of collecting event (to put with specimens)

Formatting

• Use a standard format

- Pre-printed field forms (on archival paper) can be used

• Each page should be headed with date and complete collecting locality, including GPS
• Use a single sequential set of field numbers throughout collecting career; never re-use field numbers

Field Catalog minimal data requirements

insert photo of example for wiki

• Date (write out month)
• Collector(s)

- Full names for first mention

- Institutional affiliation also useful

• Higher level geography (country, state, county)
• Locality Name and description, including any major landmarks (e.g., roads, towns; do not use ephemeral landmarks), information on how to reach site (mileage, etc.)
• GPS Coordinates (datum, including elevation)
• Depth
• Time of Day
• Macro/microhabitat (including ecological data)
• Weather (rainy/cloudy/sunny, temp)
• Sampling duration
• Field/collector number
• Preliminary identification
• Drainage
• Flora and other species observed
• Reference to photographs, sound recordings, tissue samples and other ancillary collections; note if specimen was not collected

Field Journal

Travelog with expanded narrative

Voucher-less specimens

- May not be possible to keep large vouchers or protected species

- Photographs may act as vouchers

Examples

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rept2ic