Making observations and recording data

Citation

Edwards A, Rabinowitz A & White L (2000) Making observations and recording data. In: White L & Edwards A (eds.) Conservation research in the African rain forests: a technical handbook. New York, NY, USA: Wildlife Conservation Society, pp. 51-59. http://bioko.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/whiteedwards2000.pdf

Abstract
First paragraph: Having defined your research questions, making observations and recording data are the next steps in the research process. Observations of plants, animals, events, landscapes, disturbances etc. provide the data from which management questions are answered. However, it is a long road between making an observation and confidently answering a question of concern to management. If you are to negotiate that road successfully, you need to record relevant observations accurately and fully. If you are to achieve this you will have to think carefully about how to record observations and make the effort to do so rigorously. Making observations and recording information in a conscientious and rigorous way is something that must be learned and practiced, since poorly recorded observations can be useless or even misleading.