Real Anthropologists Carry Moleskins

Monday and Tuesday this week I had one concept repeatedly pounded into my head by two different prep classes, and two different readings: KEEP FIELD NOTES. At first I did not pay much attention, thinking, "Yeah, duh. You write down notes for any type of research." However, the more I think about it, the more I realize how detrimental these lectures were. My memory is a cognitive tool that I have definitely not come even close to mastering, and it needs to be aided as much as possible while I go about real field research. Besides the invaluable aid writing down insight and discoveries will be to my research project and thesis, I really believe I also owe accurate written accounts to the culture and people I am studying. I am already asking to be accepted as a foreign resident, and for the investment of informants' time, and to be treated with respect as an outsider. Thus, part of the little I can give back is taking the measures necessary to record accurate portrayals of my host area. In my ethnographic methods class I learned that field notes are always best when either immediately recorded, or at least compiled that day. Even a night's sleep can alter original insight and comprehension.

I realized that I need to start preparing myself for the field by recording things now. This is easier said than done, as I am not used to physically writing anything throughout my day. Even in most of my classes I use a laptop. However, this reminded me that I actually have been an avid collector of virtual field notes - the field being the internet. I have countless Mac sticky notes, and web bookmarks of sites that interest me, articles I need to reread, and quote excerpts that inspired me. I realized that I now just need to take this habit, and apply it to my offline life. I am thus going to purchase a small notebook and start trying to notice the small or subtle going-ons around me daily that could actually create insight into my own social world.

Hopefully, by doing this, I will be in better shape field note-wise by the time I get to Ghana. I will be using my laptop less than I ever have for basically 3 years, and will need to be accustomed to opening up a real paper notebook, with a real pen in hand, and recording valuable information. The simple lessons I learned about taking notes this week may have actually been one of the main keys to my success as a researcher in Ghana.

Update: What was my section class about today? Field notes. And I learned even more. The biggest thing I took away was from the exercise studying a person at the Wilk. When I was supposed to be writing descriptive notes, I unknowingly projected my own perspectives and opinions onto my study subject. After even one minute of note-taking, I can already tell that this method takes time and practice. I cannot project my relative reality onto everything I study, at least not for purely empirical description note-taking.