FIELD
REPORTS
Field Reports
These are common reports in disciplines
such as Law, Industrial Relations,
Psychology, Nursing, History and
Education.
Field Reports
These types of reports require the
student to analyse his or her observations
of phenomena or events in the real world
in light of theories studied in the course.
Field Reports
The purpose of a field report in the social
sciences:
• to describe the observation of people,
places, and/or events
• to analyze that observation data in order to
identify and categorize common themes in
relation to the research problem underpinning
the study.
Field Reports
The content represents the researcher’s
interpretation of meaning found in data
that has been gathered during one or
more observational events.
When writing a field report
you need to:
a. Systematically observe and accurately
record the varying aspects of a situation.
Always approach your field study with a
detailed protocol about what you will
observe, where you should conduct your
observations, and the method by which
you will collect and record your data.
When writing a field report
you need to:
c. Keep the report’s aims in mind while you are observing.
Recording what you observe should not be done randomly or
haphazardly; you must be focused and pay attention to
details. Enter the observation site [i.e., “field”] with a clear
plan about what you are intending to observe and record in
relation to the research problem while, at the same time,
being prepared to adapt to changing circumstances as they
may arise.
When writing a field report
you need to:
d. Consciously observe, record, and analyze what you hear
and see in the context of a theoretical framework. This is what
separates data gatherings from reporting. The theoretical
framework guiding your field research should determine
what, when, and how you observe and act as the foundation
from which you interpret your findings in relation to the
underlying assumptions embedded in the theoretical
framework.
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