But maybe you're thinking all you need to do is collect some rocks, maybe take a couple of pictures, and you'll be able to write everything down later - besides it's too cold, or too hot, or its too wet to take notes now, and besides, who's ever going to look at the notes I take, they're just interested in my final report. For those naysayer's who feel this way, let me point out several reasons why a geologist must take good notes in the field.
1. It's important for the geologist to record his or her impressions and observations of the rocks since our memory may not let us recall every detail later on. Not writing down your observations could result in missed data being recorded and lead to inaccurate conclusions about the rocks being studied.
2. Field notes allow you to write down descriptions of fossils, minerals, or rocks while they are being collected. This saves you time, and makes later classification and organization of the samples easier.
3. By making sketches, field notes can give you a visual record of the site being studied that can be compared to other sites. Sketches are also helpful in interpreting geologic events.
4. For many types of work, field notes are a legal document, and must be saved for future reference. This is true of all jobs with large corporations, state or federal governments, and most university positions. The field notes are a legal record of your activities in the field, and can be very important, especially if a large oil field, an environmental impact study, or anything else that may have legal ramifications.
So we know that it's important to take notes in the field. You have your notebook, your pens, and are ready to go. But where do you start? Some people will jump in and start describing the rocks and fossils they find. Some people will make a sketch first, then write a description. I've always followed a simple checklist when in the field for taking notes. Feel free to follow this checklist, or create your own. No matter if you use a ready made checklist or create your own, make sure you follow it at every site you visit. This will make your notes more coherent and easy to follow later on.
