Contents
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
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- – 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)
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- – 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
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- – May not be possible to keep large vouchers or protected species
- – Photographs may act as vouchers
Examples