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The best method to follow is to jot down a few key words or
phrases bringing to mind certain events.
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These can be summarized in detail soon after the
observation.
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The best time for recording is undoubtedly right after the
time the observation is made.
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This is a process of describing the various characteristics
of the situation in a form representing how it occurs.
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The goal is to provide a series of notes which act as a
“sketch” for the later “pictorial” description of the
setting.
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The process of recording seeks to develop the initial sketch
of notes into an actual picture of the system.
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This is a “back-and-forth” process of developing
an initial description, comparing it again with a second observation or the
observations of others, and then finalizing the description.
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The observation becomes more focussed and the categories for
description can be revised in later stages of the observation.
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The act of recording is often lost in too sketchy a picture
or too detailed a sketch.
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The best recording principle suggests that we should be
detailed enough to communicate the system to another person while not so
sketchy as it would require constant verbal editorializing by the
observer.