A structured template for the observation logs most of this course's Tutes and assessments ask you to keep, what to capture, and what doesn't count.
How to log a field observation#
Most of what you submit this semester comes out of a log you kept in the moment, not something reconstructed the night before it’s due. A log that just says “everyone was pretty considerate” is a log about nothing; the frameworks on the readings page need something more specific to work on than that. Use this template whenever a Tute or assessment asks you to log something.
The template#
| Field | What goes here |
|---|---|
| When | The actual date and time, not “sometime in the afternoon”; you’ll need to sequence entries against each other later |
| Where | The specific space, and what kind of space it is (home, work, studio, third place, public) |
| Who | How many people, and their apparent relationship to each other and to you (stranger, roommate, colleague, regular) |
| What happened | The observable behaviour only, not your interpretation yet |
| Framework | Which framework it looks like an instance of, if any; leave it blank rather than force one |
| Your read | One line: what you think it shows, now that it’s separated from the raw behaviour |
A worked example#
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| When | 2027-03-03, 8:12am |
| Where | Local café (third place), regular morning crowd |
| Who | Two strangers, both solo, adjacent tables |
| What happened | Both reached for the shared sugar caddy at once, one paused half a second, the other took it first, neither made eye contact |
| Framework | Civil inattention |
| Your read | The pause was the coordination, resolved before it needed a word |
What doesn’t count as a log entry#
“People were nice,” “nothing much happened,” “the vibe was chill”: these are conclusions with the evidence thrown away. If you can’t reconstruct the incident from your own note a week later, it isn’t logged, it’s vibes.
Keep the raw log separate from your analysis. Fill in “What happened” the moment it happens; “Framework” and “Your read” can wait until you’re somewhere you can think.