The careful recording of contextual information about the observation is also most important. If the observation is videotaped, much of this explanatory material will be captured in the video. The date is always necessary to allow age determination and comparison of multiple observations at intervals. The time of day may be equally important as children may tire toward the end of the day, or be irritable around nap or feeding times. In handwritten observation notes which are not supported by video tapes, the observer may want to record other environmental factors that may affect behavior such as high noise levels, presence of others, including the relationships with those individuals, and unusual distractions.
Field notes are the written recordings made by the observer at the time of the observation.
The field notes provide depth and detail through careful description of the contextual information described above as well as specifically observed behaviors. Since behaviors occur rapidly and information needs to be recorded as expediently as possible, it is important for the observer to develop a personalized shorthand for the recording of events and contexts. These are only a few examples of the type of coding system that may be developed with practice. These biases may actually be strengths, as a result of education, training, or experience within the profession or discipline represented. These strengths make the team observation particularly valuable.