Field Report: Main Text

The heart of the report is, of course, the main text. Within the text, the writer presents the entire scope of the fieldwork assignment. The text, therefore, includes the main body from introduction to conclusion.

1. Introduction

All reports require some introduction. The wider the scope of the report, the more extensive the introduction required. The introduction orients the reader. It gives him a clear understanding of the background, scope, and purpose of the study. In short, the introduction tells the reader what the report is about, what the writer did and how he/she went about it. It can include

• Importance of field studies in zoology 
• Reasons for selecting the place you visited as your area of study 
• Aims and objectives of the present study

2. Materials and Methods

If particular methods were used to collect the data, then these will be described in this section. The information to be included in this section is literature survey, the fieldwork procedures, and the data collection methods used. One can also include background information (location of area, geology, topography, vegetation, climate, geological history, recent history etc.) of the site visited and a brief description about their journey. In particular

• Describe your journey to the study area, the composition of your group, the dates etc. 
• Provide a brief description of the area of your field trip along with its map. Say if you have visited a National Park or a Wildlife sanctuary mention its location, latitude and longitude, conservation history, habitat, main flora and fauna etc. Such information is easily available on the internet. Please do not attach extensive lists of flora and fauna known in the protected area out here. If you intend to do so they should be given in the appendix. 
• Detail how the observations were taken in the field – while walking/riding on vehicle along a particular route through a particular area, from watch towers inside a protected area, at fixed points within the protected area or on the sea shore 
• Give names and specifications of the binoculars, camera, GPS and other equipment used during the course of the field study 
• Mention the name of the book along with its author used for field identification of animals 
• You can also mention if any lectures of Authorities were arranged about interviews or casual interactions with people as an aid to gather more information about the study area

3. Results

The section is the heart of the report. This is the section in which data are presented and analyzed. The student must analyze the data by use of appropriate techniques which may include:

• The data gathered must be examined in relation to objectives 
• The data must be processed and grouped into several items or headings for their analysis 
• The processed data should then be presented in the form of tables, charts, diagrams, figures, descriptions, historical narration, etc. to explain the relationships of the data analyzed. 
• The use of analytical and statistical techniques should be made for better interpretation of data to draw inferences 
• The results should be explained in sufficient detail to enable the reader to have an adequate understanding of the work. 
• Provide a list of flora and fauna encountered during the study period. 
• Provide a comprehensive account of the lecture summary of authorities if delivered. 
• List what you have learnt about the study area through interaction with other people.

4. Discussion

     The report-writer should then draw out the significant conclusions and implications of the findings. A conclusion is thus a deduction based on the findings.

• Sometimes, the report-writer also proposes some recommendations which are in the form of suggested courses of action. 
• Here you can record your personal observations and conclusions regarding the field trip and the study area 
• Problems of conservation pertinent to the study area etc. can also be mentioned