Field Report

The field report aims to describe the observations of people, places, or events. It also aims to
analyze the observation of data and categorize them into themes concerning the research study
(Bhosale, 2022; Sacred Heart University Library, n.d.).
Field reports are written to improve the researcher’s understanding of key theoretical concepts by
applying practical methods of careful and structured observations of people, places, or
phenomena existing in their natural environment. Writing your field report will then require you
to involve both description and analysis (Bhosale, 2022).
When writing a field report you need to:
 Systematically observe and accurately record the varying aspects of a
situation (Sacred Heart University Library, n.d.).
 Continuously analyze your observations (Bhosale, 2022).
 Keep the report’s aim in mind while you are observing.
 Consciously observe, record, and analyze what you hear and see in the
context of a theoretical framework (Sacred Heart University Library,
n.d.).
Techniques to record observation
 Photography
o It can help capture an important moment in time as well as
document details about the space where your observation takes
place. It can also save time for documenting the details of space
that would otherwise require extensive note-taking (Bhosale,
2022).
 Note Taking
o This is the most commonly used and easiest method of recording
your observations (Sacred Heart University Library, n.d.).
 Audio and Video Recordings
o This can be particularly helpful as you gather additional
information or insights during your research. These techniques
have the negative effect of increasing how intrusive you are as
an observer and will often not be practical or even allowed under
certain circumstances and in certain organizational settings
(Bhosale, 2022).
 Illustrations and Drawings
o This does not refer to an artistic endeavor but, rather, refers to
possible need, for example, to draw a map of the observation
setting or illustrate objects in relation to people’s behavior
(Sacred Heart University Library, n.d.).
How will you format your field report?
Most field reports include the following elements:
 Introduction
o A discussion of your research problem (Bhosale, 2022).
o The objectives of your research (Sacred Heart University Library,
n.d.).
 o The important theories or concepts that you will use for your field
report.
o A list of the reasons why you chose the observation site and the
people or events within it (Bhosale, 2022).
 Description of Activities
o This section should have sufficient details about your
observations. As the readers are not witnesses to the situation,
people, or events that you are writing about, providing adequate
context and description of your activities can fill in the gap
(Sacred Heart University Library, n.d.).
o When writing this section, take note of and answer the five Ws:
 What have you observed? What are the general
implications or impressions of the situation that you were
observing?
 Where did your observations take place? Note important
material objects that are present to contextualize the
observation.
 When did the observation take place? Record factual data
about the day and the beginning and ending time of each
observation.
 Who are your subjects? Include background and
demographic information about the people being observed.
Record who is doing and saying what, as well as who is not
doing or saying what (Bhosale, 2022).
 Why are you doing this? Note why something happened.
List the reasons why you chose a particular situation to
observe.
 Interpretation and Analysis
o The Interpretation and Analysis section should have a short
discussion on the research’s theoretical framework. The analysis
and interpretation of your observations must be within the
broader context of the theoretical assumptions and issues
presented in the Introduction (Sacred Heart University Library,
n.d.).
 Conclusion and Recommendations
o The Conclusion and Recommendations section should briefly
recap the study and reiterate the significance of your findings.
You should also state any recommendations you may have based
on the results of your study. Note any unanticipated problems
you encountered and list the limitations of your study, if any
(Bhosale, 2022).
 Appendix
o The Appendix is the section where you would place information
that is nonessential in explaining your findings yet supports your
 overall analysis. Examples of information included in the
Appendix are:
 Complete interview transcripts.
 Figures or tables of results, as well as statistics relevant to
the study.
 Pictures, maps, or drawings (Sacred Heart University
Library, n.d.).
References
Bhosale, U. (2022). Want to write a field study report? 6 key points to consider! Enago
Academy. Retrieved from https://www.enago.com/academy/write-a-field-study-report/
Sacred Heart University Library. (n.d.). Organizing academic research papers: Writing a field
report. Retrieved from https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185952