ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author seeks to render the “invisible” and “hidden” act of fieldnote writing more explicit. He explore a three-step approach that he found useful in his own experience: first were the “jottings, second was the slightly more “fleshed out” document on the journey home, and the more comprehensive document written the following morning, before the final stage of more formal fieldnote analysis. One particular foray into participant observation settings facilitated a steep learning curve that initially concerned the author, but taught him a lot about the value of keeping good fieldnotes. The author aims to illuminate his own fieldnote writing methods for transforming the “chaotic welter of impressions” from participant observation settings into more coherent and representative ethnographic writings and analyses.
