of paper (similar to the one illustrated in Figure 1.3), make sure that they all go into a ring binder as soon as possible. It is very easy for single data sheets to get lost. It is worth checking to see if there is a standardised recording sheet available for use with the technique that you are employing. Examples include the recording sheets produced for the Biological Records Centre23 and Breeding Bird Survey.24 Make photocopies of data at frequent intervals and scan them into a computer if possible. If data loggers are being used either to note climatic variables (see Chapter 2) or to log behaviour (see Chapter 4), then make sure that you take backups of your files as soon as possible. Enter data and comments in electronic form whenever possible and create backup copies on a regular basis, including copies saved on a networked drive, internet hub, or cloud (NB: emailing copies to yourself and co‐workers/supervisors can provide useful protection).
Box 1.3 Keeping a field notebook
Use a field notebook to write down data, ideas, observations, tentative conclusions, and hypotheses as you do your fieldwork to create an immediate and faithful history of your research. Produce comprehensive, clearly organised notes as a reference and so that you can reconstruct the research timeline and follow the development of your thoughts and ideas. Although you may use other collection sheets (e.g. pre‐printed data collection forms to ensure data are collected consistently in different locations and at different times), your field notebook should provide the context for data collection and help resolve ambiguities or inconsistencies when preparing for analysis. After data analysis, reference to your notebook may generate further hypotheses and suggest further lines of enquiry.
Select an A5 or A6 hardback notebook with a spiral binding and wide‐ruled lines, ideally on waterproof paper. Use a clutch‐type propelling pencil with a moderately soft lead (HB or B). If you do not use waterproof paper, then encase your notebook in a plastic bag large enough to cover your hand and the notebook when writing. In very wet conditions, write on an A4 sheet of white plastic with a thick soft pencil (use kitchen cleaner to erase your notes after transcription).
What should be recorded?
The first page should include contact details in case of loss, the subject of your research, and the start and end dates of the period covered by that notebook. Include any conventions used, e.g. ‘All times are recorded as local time’. Number the pages and ideally add a contents table to make searching for information easier. Write on the right‐hand page only so the left‐hand page can be used for ideas generated by reading about similar observations or relevant research papers. Leave a few lines between observations for comments to be inserted later (e.g. ‘No bark damage here 23 June, see p. 39’). Add a 2 cm margin to write the time, location (e.g. from a GPS reading), or other identifying labels. Create lists of codes, acronyms, specialist terminology, etc. at the back and include any emergency numbers (e.g. those of field buddies). Other useful notes about equipment (how to use, limitations of instruments, etc.) and any numerical information you might require in the field (simple formulae for calculations, random numbers, etc.) can also be added here.
Before starting work each day, write down the date, weather, general location, nature of the habitat, and purpose of the day's work. Write down any changes in weather or habitat that occur during the day, e.g. ‘At 15.00 hours snow began to fall and visibility was reduced to 20 m’. When observing behaviour, note the sampling method, how animals were chosen for observation, and the recording method (e.g. whether you noted all occurrences or used a time‐sampled method). If animals or start times are chosen at random, note how this was done.
Note the type and model number of any equipment (e.g. GPS receiver type Garmin 12). Some instruments need calibrating at intervals, so record the time of calibration and any raw data and subsequent calculations so that any arithmetic errors can be identified and corrected later. Use your notebook to create rough species accumulation curves, etc. so you can tell when you should stop collecting data (see p. 31). Although notes should be made at the time observations are made, it can be difficult to observe and write at the same time, but if you do rely on memory, you should note this. Write exactly what you see or hear, e.g. when describing behaviour do not ascribe a function to it in the guise of a description (i.e. do not write that a goose was ‘vigilant’ when you mean that the bird was in a standing posture with an elongated neck and raised head).
Sketches enhance any photographs you take of your study sites and you will have a sketch available in your notebook the next time you visit the area. Sketches can be added to subsequently (annotating any changes with the date of the amendment). The value of sketches can be increased by explanatory labels. A careful sketch can aid species identification and will help to jog your memory when you encounter a species in the future; such sketches are more valuable if labelled with the diagnostic feature(s) you use (e.g. ‘two spots on forewing’ or ‘sepals bent backwards’). Landscapes change over time and maps may not reflect this. In some cases, no map of a suitable scale may be available, and a sketch map can be made using compass and tape, or by pacing out distances using a pedometer. This may be adequate to note the locations of those animals or plants of interest.
It is also useful to record any notes and actions from supervisory or team meetings, both as a reminder and to ensure that any designated actions have been completed as planned.
Pilot studies
Although you might worry that using a pilot study will delay the start of you collecting the data you need for your project, in reality it may save you time and further problems down the line. Trying out your project over a small scale (including in time), will enable you to better plan the logistics of implementing your project. Not only do you get a chance to ensure you can realistically complete the project, you will also gain an insight into the variability and values of data you are collecting. Such insights are particularly useful when assessing the sample size required (p. 30). Pilot studies enable you to become familiar with your techniques so that the data collected will be the result of skilled implementation, rather than early data being the result of less well managed techniques that are new to you. Any changes that you include to your final design as a result of the experiences from your pilot studies should be documented in your final methods section of your report.
Figure 1.2 Example timescales for a medium‐term research project. Note that health and safety, ethical, and legal issues should be examined within the initial proposal and a refined risk assessment produced during the focussed proposal and planning phase. This risk assessment should be revisited regularly throughout the project.
Time management
Conducting a piece of research within a relatively short timespan is a demanding process and will require careful time management. You will need to allow time to check the feasibility of the research project and should also add sufficient time for method training or familiarisation. Ensure that you leave time spare to allow for the almost inevitable problems associated with both fieldwork and laboratory analysis. Check out your methods by first running a pilot to help identify any pitfalls and inadequacies. It is easy to underestimate
