When I graduated from the London Institute for Magizoology many, many years ago and thus began my excited planning for actual field research - rather than just visiting a reserve - my professor asked me to recall very strictly my classes on field researching.  In those classes, I learnt things that would become extremely evident in my next few years travelling with a select group of students, professors and graduates.  Had others around me paid more heed to those lessons, their research notes may have turned out much differently, as perhaps would my own.

The first lesson of field research is to drop all expectations, biases and preferences.  Every dragonologist has a favourite breed, especially in their younger days, but it is vital to drop these biases before observing and taking notes.  A researching jotting down that their favourite Hungarian Horntail is 'soooo cute' will hold not much stock in the academic world, for example, however true it may be in that researchers eyes.  Similarly, believing that one breed is inherently more aggressive than the other rather than acknowledging that is there have simply been more recorded incidents of aggression may alter the course of ones research, for example in 1943 a Dr. Tristain Fillian approached a Swedish Short-Snout believing them to be non-aggressive, having mistaken lack of recorded incidents for something else entirely.  He left with one leg left and the infamy of being used as an example in many dragonology classes for decades.  In order to collect the most accurate data, one must become a blank slate.

There are two different types of field research.  One is short term observation and is a time span of no more than three days, usually however, it consists of much less.  This may be to witness one event in a dragons life, like laying eggs, or a single hunting trip, or it may simply to glean an initial impression of the situation in which a dragon is living.  The second is long term observation.  Sometimes going on for months, it most often consists of a time of eight up to twenty wizards, camping and living together in a specially constructed viewing site.  Mostly often the group consists of about twelve witches and wizards working and living togther.  There is a team leader, a team deputy and a team third due to the high risk nature of the trip and the inability to send owls back to headquarters in the event of a disaster.  Any member of the team should be ready to lead others however, if the group is severely depleted or seperated.

Note taking can be done in many different ways.  Generally, especially on a long term observation, a wide range of methods is used in order to get the most out of the research.  Quick quills are sometimes used, but due to their independent nature and their ability to rephrase things haphazardly some research teams ban them altogether.  There are four main ways of note taking.

Jot Notes

As it sounds, short notes are jotted down, consisting of single words and short phrases.  Mostly used on short term observations and are most often appropriate during an event when it is not always wise and quick enough to laboriously describe every movement a dragon makes.  They are sometimes made immediately after an event is made, especially with the help of omnioculars repeating the scene.

Field notes proper

Field notes proper are much more detailed accounts of the events taking place.  Although they can be brief, field notes proper should contain much more context of the surrounding scene, as well as describing vocalisations, body language, movements, actions and the environment surrounding those.  They should also include the thoughts and impressions of the researcher, as this can have bearing on how the events being seen are interpreted by the researcher on paper.  They are generally very detailed.

Methodological notes

This kind of noting describes and plans out the methods in which the researcher used to carry out their particular research.  It includes notes on how the researchers got to the physical place they are at, what tools they are using and how this relates to the research being done as a whole.  They are usually done after the main observed event, or before as a form of planning.  They are vital to a researchers paper and the source material for instructional books used to teach other dragonologists.

Journals and Diaries

Journals and Diaries are kept on long term observation trips, usually being written on at the end of the day as a summary of the entire days events.  They often include or summarise field notes and methodological notes and should contain the thoughts, feelings and personal observations of the writer.  They should be kept chronologically and whilst many are never published, they are often used in personal accounts such as this one to recall certain feelings and stories.  They are also valuable in helping the researcher place themselves back in the event as it was happening, helping them to better construct their papers once out of the field.  

Most often is a combination of all of these that provides a comprehensive account of a certain event of set of events concerning the animal.