A field journal is a document, usually a simple notebook, in which a researcher records relevant data about the place where he collects information.
The term journal is used because the document used has a function similar to that of a personal journal. The word field is used because the journal entries are made in the context of field work, that is, a place where a series of experiences are experienced. In this sense, the term field can refer to a classroom, an open-air site, a jungle area, an urban enclave and, ultimately, any site where an on-site investigation is carried out.
The field journal has a specific role in the investigation process
Predictably, a zoologist, botanist, anthropologist, or archaeologist uses a field journal in their research activities. In the diary they write down everything that they are going to analyze later in their conventional workplace or in their laboratory.
In the diary, concrete data is collected, situations are drawn, sketches are made, ideas are written down and, in short, information that may be relevant in the research process is captured on a sheet of paper. In this sense, the field diary is a working tool for most scientists who need to know a place directly and not only from a theoretical perspective. It could be said that this tool allows obtaining a diagnosis of what is being studied, be it a group of animals, plants, archaeological remains or a human group.
The unscientific aspect of a field journal
There is no single model of a field diary. In fact, each researcher can use it in many ways. Normally its use is oriented towards obtaining strictly objective data with a scientific value. However, on some occasions a whole series of subjective issues are incorporated into these notebooks, especially the personal impressions of the researcher.
It must be borne in mind that many research works end up becoming literary essays, in which subjective elements serve to adorn rigorous research.
The example of Charles Darwin's diaries
Charles Darwin was the English naturalist who developed the theory of natural selection and is known as the father of the theory of evolution. To elaborate his theory, he traveled for years to various places on the planet.
On his journey, Darwin kept a field diary (also known as a travel diary) in which he wrote down a series of strictly scientific data and, at the same time, his personal experiences. In this way, the reader of his work can know the theoretical issues of his scientific approach and the historical and personal context in which the research took place.
In his reports, Darwin is a naturalist and a historian, that is, a scientist who observes nature and, in parallel, a chronicler of his time who comments on everything that happens around him.
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