Surveying Field Notes

1) Types of surveying field note Sketches / Diagrams - add much to clarify field notes and should be used liberally when applicable. They may be drawn to an approximate scale, or important details may be exaggerated for clarity. A small ruler or triangle is an aid in making sketches. Measurements should be added directly on the sketch or keyed in some way to the tabular data. An important requirement of a sketch is legibility. See that the sketch is drawn clearly and large enough to be understandable. - sketch of the area, noting landmarks, roads and buildings, benchmarks, angles, and distances - The main purpose of sketch notes is to clarify information shown in other types of notes, as described in Modular Notes (Preprinted Forms) and Electronic Notes (Data Collection), and to prevent misinterpretation thereof. Sketches increase the efficiency with which notes are taken and subsequently interpreted in the office. Description notes are a written narration of the survey procedure and of the measurement to clarify information shown in other types of notes, as described in Modular Notes (Preprinted Forms) and Electronic Notes (Data Collection). Whenever the field crew observes a noteworthy circumstance, it should also be recorded in writing. Tabulations / Tabular - Table of data, for differential levelling or profile levelling, taping or traverse data, etc. - Tabular notes are records of measurements referenced to survey stations or topographic features. Tabular notes may or may not require the use of a sketch, but one should make an effort to include one. The advantage of this type of note taking is that it does not depend on electronic devices. That is also the main disadvantage in that the transportability of data is limited. - In TABULATION, the numerical measurements are recorded in columns according to a prescribed plan. Spaces are also reserved to permit necessary computations. - Tabulation, with or without added sketches, can also be supplemented with DESCRIPTIONS. Descriptions - Information about area, benchmarks, turning points, weather, survey party, etc. The main purpose of sketch notes is to clarify information shown in other types of notes, as described in Modular Notes (Pre-printed Forms) and Electronic Notes (Data Collection), and to prevent misinterpretation thereof. Sketches increase the efficiency with which notes are taken and subsequently interpreted in the office. Description notes are a written narration of the survey procedure and of the measurement to clarify information shown in other types of notes, as described in Modular Notes (Pre-printed Forms) and Electronic Notes (Data Collection). Whenever the field crew observes a noteworthy circumstance, it should also be recorded in writing. - The description may be only one or two words to clarify t he recorded measurements. It may also be quite a narration if it is to be used at some future time, possibly years later, to locate a survey monument. ERASURES ARE NOT PERMITTED IN FIELD NOTEBOOKS. Individual numbers or lines recorded incorrectly are to be lined out and the correct values inserted. Pages that are to be rejected are crossed out neatly and referenced to the substituted pages. THISPROCEDURE IS MANDATORY since the field notebook is the book of record and is often used as legal evidence. Standard abbreviations, signs, and symbols are used in field notebooks. If there is any doubt as to their meaning, an explanation must be given in the form of notes or legends. - Modular Notes (Preprinted Forms) - Modular notes are those in which original raw values are entered on special forms. The forms are generally designed as a "trade off" between ease in recording notes in the field and computer input needs. In some cases, computer operators are trained to input into the computer directly from the modular form. In other cases, the field information is transferred manually to special forms. Electronic Notes (Data Collection) - A data collector is a device on which traditional survey data may be recorded electronically. This data is usually horizontal angle, zenith angle, slope distance and descriptive survey data such as feature identification or comments. Combinations – Two, or even all three, forms may be combined, when necessary, to make a complete record. 2) What are the information’s found in field note book? Field notebooks should be arranged in three sections: 1) Daily record section: There must be entries for each day that you make bird observations, and each day that you work on your research project. Each entry should include: Date, in the format of day/month/year, with day in numerals, month spelled out (not in numerals - this is really important), and year with 4 digits (i.e. 2011, not 11, '11, or /11) Location Participants (if anyone was with you) - this will help you if you want to confirm one of your observations in the future but can't remember if anyone was with you, OR if it turns out in 20 years that you made some really cool/unusual observation and others want to go back and try to verify it. Start time & finish time - this should be recorded in the 24-hour clock format (i.e. 1400, not 2:00 or 2pm) Weather Species list with approximate numbers for each species seen Data for your research project (if applicable) Any additional notes – behaviour, habitat, drawings, your thoughts on it, what you were doing (if it wasn’t a formal birding trip), etc. 2) Species account section: Start this section about half-way through the book. Designate a page or half a page for EACH species (leave room for ~25 species). Whenever you make observations of a species, put an entry on the page devoted to that species (date, location, notes, number individuals). For convenience, just make the notes in the daily record portion while you’re in the field, then fill in the species accounts section at the end of the day. 3) Time log section: Leave several blank pages at the back of the book. Starting on the BACK page, keep a log of all the time you spend making bird observations. Just include the date, activity, and number of hours (one day per line). Every entry here should correspond to a more detailed entry in the daily record. The field notebook consists of three main sections: the journal, the catalogue, and species accounts. You can divide the three sections of your notebook with a page that says “Journal” for the journal section, another page that says “Catalogue”, etc. (1) The Journal. The journal is like a diary, containing a chronological sequence of your field trips with locality information, weather information, a list of the species you observed, a description of your activity, and the names of the people present. Usually, the journal entry will be written at the end of each period in the field. These pages should be headed “Journal”. See the sample page entitled “Journal”. Your journal entry should include: - Locality information (e.g., “Grinnell Natural Area, University of California, Berkeley, Alameda Co., CA”) - route of travel, including a map if possible - hours of observation - weather conditions - participants (e.g., Mrs. Mertens’ AP Environmental Science Class, Ryan Hill, Tom Devitt) - habitats and topography - list of species seen and estimated numbers of each species (at the end of journal entry) - any general impressions (2) The Catalogue. The catalogue section of the field notebook contains a list of specimens that were collected with all of the appropriate locality information. We will usually only collect specimens on our weekend field trips, and we’ll discuss the format for this section in more detail once we begin collecting. (3) The Species Accounts. A species account is a page devoted to a more detailed description of a particular species. At first when you’re learning to identify animals, you won’t know what you’re looking at. In that case, you should describe the animal as best you can. Once you’ve learned to positively identify a species, it isn’t necessary to repeat the description each time you make a new account of that species. The questions you want to answer are: - Where was the species found? - What is it doing? - How does it look and sound? The entry for each project should be in three parts, (1) an introduction to the site/project, (2) a day by day record of work undertaken and (3) a summary of the project . In keeping a record, you should think critically about the success and suitability of the methods employed. 1. Introduction to the Site/Project This should include as much of the following information as is relevant (when undertaking museum work these headings should be adapted as appropriate). (a) Name and location of site - including location map if relevant, name of Field Director and body sponsoring project (if applicable) (b) National Grid Reference (c) Period and type of site (d) The background to, and the wider context of, the site/project (including details of your own background reading). (e) Aims and approach of the project. (f) Reason for excavation/survey 2. Day to Day Record of Work Undertaken The work journal should record the following on a day by day basis. We realise that there will be more to say on some days than on others! (a) Methods of excavation/survey employed (b) Types of feature encountered (c) Types of artefactual and environmental evidence encountered (d) Recording systems (including, if possible, copies of any forms). (i) Dating techniques employed (ii) Sampling techniques employed (iii) Written recording methods used (iv) Visual recording methods used Sketch drawings, other illustrations and photographs should be included in the Notebook as relevant (N.B. Subject to obtaining the Project Director's permission to do so). 3. Summary and Evaluation of the Project In addition to the day-by-day work journal, the Notebook should also include brief statements about: (a) why you chose to go on this particular project. (b) what the project provided in terms of training. (c) a summary of the progress of the project as a whole whilst you were there (d) a self-evaluation of your progress in practical archaeology (e.g. increased ability at planning; levelling etc.). (e) details of any other archaeological sites or museums visited in conjunction with the project, or during days off. 4. Continuous Record of Experience/Practical Work Students should also keep a continuous record of their fieldwork/museum experience. Forms for this purpose are supplied, and should be inserted at the back of your Field Notebook. At the end of each project you should update these forms by recording the types of work you have undertaken and the skills practised. This exercise is designed to ensure students achieve a diversity of training and site experience. This record will also be useful in the future when preparing your CV. 3) Members of the field survey party A field engineer or surveyor normally supervises a crew of workers known as a survey party. Within the typical survey party is a rodman who holds the levelling staff while measurements of distance and elevation are made; a chainman/chairman who helps measure distances with a surveyor chain; an instrument man who adjusts and reads instruments for measurement (level, transit, laser, calculators/field computers, etc.) (and an instrument man may in turn advance to party chief (field engineer), where he or she will supervise the crew and record notes from the survey); and a party chief who directs the work. Frequently the party chief and field engineer or surveyor is one in the same. Before any other work begins on a jobsite, a survey party must first establish the legal boundaries of the land upon which the work will be done. After the job begins the survey party measures and records distances and elevations that tell the contractor exactly where a new structure or system will be located. This can be critical to proper construction. Each member of the survey crew must perform-n his or her duty with patience and precision. Surveyors generally work outdoors. (After years of experience, the party chief (field engineer or surveyor) may become a job or project superintendent. A party chief may also take an exam to become a registered land surveyor and can then start his or her own business.)