Making Field NotesMaking Field Notes

The past was devoted to answers. The past was devoted to answers. The modern period is dominated The modern period is dominated

by questions.by questions.

Keep your eye on the ballKeep your eye on the ball

The Sistine ChapelThe Sistine Chapel

How did How did Michaelangelo Michaelangelo imagine such a imagine such a large and complex large and complex work?work?

How did he manage How did he manage to bring “the big to bring “the big picture” into focus?picture” into focus?

The painting itself The painting itself was an aspect of was an aspect of Michelangelo’s Michelangelo’s

mind, as mind, as necessary to his necessary to his thought as the thought as the

brain cells brain cells themselves. themselves.

ExogramsExograms

To imagine into existence the To imagine into existence the entire mural, Michelangelo entire mural, Michelangelo had to rely on memory fields had to rely on memory fields outside his brain. The outside his brain. The painting itself was such a painting itself was such a memory field. Michelangelo memory field. Michelangelo did what every artist or did what every artist or writer or engineer or writer or engineer or architect does to complete architect does to complete large works:large works:

He made notes and drawings. He made notes and drawings.

Figuring things outFiguring things out

Writers don’t “figure it out” and then write it down.Writers don’t “figure it out” and then write it down.

Writing it down Writing it down isis figuring it out. figuring it out.

Or rather, writing it down and then reading, re-Or rather, writing it down and then reading, re-reading, adding, changing, removing, reading, adding, changing, removing, rearranging, re-reading, and re-writing is figuring rearranging, re-reading, and re-writing is figuring it out. Without the writing, many of the it out. Without the writing, many of the connections, insights, ideas, and conclusions connections, insights, ideas, and conclusions could not have occurred.could not have occurred.

The problem is limited attentionThe problem is limited attention

How many details can you hold in How many details can you hold in your mind?your mind?

Memorize the objects below:Memorize the objects below:

Test: list the itemsTest: list the items

Test: list the itemsTest: list the items

1.1. StaplerStapler

2.2. RockRock

3.3. KeysKeys

4.4. ScissorsScissors

5.5. StampsStamps

6.6. Letter openerLetter opener

7.7. lighterlighter

The invention of writingThe invention of writing

The shift in consciousness that occurred with the development of external memory fields may be the most stunning occurrence in the history of the biosphere.

External memory fieldsExternal memory fields

““. . .external memory . . .external memory fields . . .allow the fields . . .allow the conscious mind to conscious mind to reflect on thought reflect on thought itself and to evolve itself and to evolve longer, more abstract, longer, more abstract, procedures.”procedures.”Merlin Donald. Merlin Donald. A Mind so RareA Mind so Rare

(Norton: 2002)(Norton: 2002)

Notes: the building blocks of most Notes: the building blocks of most large projectslarge projects

When we make field notes about people we When we make field notes about people we interview, the history or ecology of sites interview, the history or ecology of sites we visit, actions we undertake, meetings we visit, actions we undertake, meetings we attend, adventures we have, and how we attend, adventures we have, and how things seem at various moments, we are things seem at various moments, we are in a sense on the front lines of culture, in a sense on the front lines of culture, converting ignorance to knowledge.converting ignorance to knowledge.

Note-making empowers thinkingNote-making empowers thinking

Enhancing Memory Focusing Attention Recording

Experience

1. Enhancing Memory1. Enhancing Memory

Creating a durable impressionCreating a durable impression

Enhancing MemoryEnhancing Memory

The usual process of The usual process of making field notes is making field notes is to do jottings as to do jottings as things are happening, things are happening, and then to write up and then to write up more complete notes more complete notes as soon as possible, as soon as possible, preferably later the preferably later the same day. same day.

Sensory impressions: 10-15 Sensory impressions: 10-15 secondsseconds

We remember things that are linked We remember things that are linked to emotionsto emotions

Emotion is the Emotion is the mind’s way of mind’s way of registering registering importance.importance.

Watch for “telling details”Watch for “telling details”

Facts that trigger associations with larger meanings. . .

2. Focusing Attention2. Focusing Attention

What we forget What we forget is negligible is negligible compared to compared to what we what we never notice never notice to begin with. to begin with.

Attention is Attention is limitedlimited

““only one millionth of only one millionth of what our eyes see, what our eyes see, our ears hear, and our ears hear, and our other senses our other senses inform us about inform us about appears in our appears in our consciousnessconsciousness.”.” Nørretranders, Tor. Nørretranders, Tor. The User The User

Illusion: Cutting Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to SizeConsciousness Down to Size. . New York: Viking, 1998, p. New York: Viking, 1998, p. 126.126.

Desire governs what we seeDesire governs what we see

The first rule of research:

Go with a purpose.

3. Recording experience3. Recording experience

Your notebook Your notebook becomes part of your becomes part of your mind, increasing your mind, increasing your capacity to notice, capacity to notice, remember, organize, remember, organize, reflect, and create. reflect, and create. The notebook may be The notebook may be an essential tool for an essential tool for the full life.the full life.

Writing intensifies experienceWriting intensifies experience

People with the People with the journaling habit journaling habit sometimes feel they sometimes feel they haven’t really haven’t really experienced experienced something until something until they’ve written about they’ve written about it. it.

Getting started: JottingsGetting started: Jottings 100 years by the Bay – 350 people students dressed formally–black bow ties, vests, white shirts oral histories–tugboats Bigfork Bay ÷ Somers fire destroyed town “if I had to do it over again, I don’t know what I’d

decide” Model T to church [student mixes humor with facts and respect for

subject, the academic report also works as first-class entertainment]

Bud Moore: “Depending on the goodness and loyalty of other human beings”

cutting ice for icebox Fashion show–1901-1951-2001– everyday, sports, formal, business

[professional staging and music]

What to writeWhat to write

Observation: Late season snowstorm, hundreds of trees damaged, trees already leafed out,

Feeling: Mildly depressing to see yet more snow

Idea: [People saved from drought by the the worst storm damage in decades.]

Question: [What is record latest date for snow in this location?]

1. Observations1. Observations

Avoid: Reporting psychological states Making judgments about motivation Writing summaries

What do youWhat do you

See

Hear

Feel

Smell

Taste

Try to record speech “verbatim”Try to record speech “verbatim”

“Put quotation marks around verbatim statements.”

‘Put apostrophes around paraphrases.’

Don’t put any punctuation around summaries in your own words.

Along with the words. . .Along with the words. . .

Note the speaker’s tones, gestures, facial expressions, emotions, reactions, as well as what provokes these reactions

2. Your feelings2. Your feelings

Record Record observations observations about the about the observer.observer.

3. Ideas3. Ideas

[Put your thoughts, analyses, theories, and interpretations in brackets]

3. Questions3. Questions

What other resources exist? What different sources can you check? What additional background information

do you need? What new topics might be worth

investigating?

Completed field notesCompleted field notes

As soon as possible—usually the same day—turn your jottings into complete field notes.

These are complete historical documents that would be intelligible to somebody else

Find the patternFind the pattern ““Ed Smythe turned eighty-three last May. On the morning we met him, just Ed Smythe turned eighty-three last May. On the morning we met him, just

after seven–a time he chose–he was already out of his house, changing the oil in his after seven–a time he chose–he was already out of his house, changing the oil in his riding lawnmower. He had driven the mower just inside his garage where he had riding lawnmower. He had driven the mower just inside his garage where he had rigged a sling from the rafters so he could jack it up using a hand winch. This way, he rigged a sling from the rafters so he could jack it up using a hand winch. This way, he could reach the drain plug on the side of the engine while sitting in a lawn chair. The could reach the drain plug on the side of the engine while sitting in a lawn chair. The lawnmower was as clean as a city sports car, and the open toolbox beside it held lawnmower was as clean as a city sports car, and the open toolbox beside it held enough wrenches and sockets to rebuild a diesel.enough wrenches and sockets to rebuild a diesel.

““He still gets up at five every morning even though he no longer goes out He still gets up at five every morning even though he no longer goes out into the green pastures in the dark, the eight thousand foot wall of the nearby into the green pastures in the dark, the eight thousand foot wall of the nearby mountains black against the first traces of dawn. He no longer drives a hundred mountains black against the first traces of dawn. He no longer drives a hundred Holsteins into the holding corral, their breathing sending brief clouds into the crisp air. Holsteins into the holding corral, their breathing sending brief clouds into the crisp air. He no longer turns on the pumps in his milking parlor, warm water flushing through He no longer turns on the pumps in his milking parlor, warm water flushing through the clear pipes as he did every morning and every afternoon for fifty-one years. He no the clear pipes as he did every morning and every afternoon for fifty-one years. He no longer pulls a handle at the front of each stall twice before opening it to each new longer pulls a handle at the front of each stall twice before opening it to each new cow, the unlubricated levers grating as a measured mix of barley and corn drops into cow, the unlubricated levers grating as a measured mix of barley and corn drops into the feed bin. the feed bin.

““But he still rises before light, puts on a faded pair of bib overalls over a But he still rises before light, puts on a faded pair of bib overalls over a flannel shirt, even the top button buttoned, and watches from his kitchen table as the flannel shirt, even the top button buttoned, and watches from his kitchen table as the cottonwoods beside the irrigation canal slowly become visible. cottonwoods beside the irrigation canal slowly become visible.

““He glanced at us as we drove up, then continued pouring new oil into the He glanced at us as we drove up, then continued pouring new oil into the engine. ‘Beautiful morning, huh?’ he called as we got out of the car.”engine. ‘Beautiful morning, huh?’ he called as we got out of the car.”

Toward Final ProductsToward Final Products

Above, Townsend Veteran’s Appreciation ProgramRight, Ronan Open House

Making Field NotesMaking Field Notes

Michael L. Umphrey.Michael L. Umphrey.