Do not think of a journal as a diary. Instead, think of it as a field work journal. Personal journals essentially are blank books that are ideal for collecting notes, data and other important information that you want to remember in the future. The best attributes of a personal journal are that it is fairly inexpensive, it often has many pages for recording data and it fits easily into a work bag or purse.
Instructions
1. Divide your journal into sections by using durable page tabs. Stick a tab on the first page of the beginning of each section. You also can use a permanent marker or pen to write the name of the section on the tab. Perhaps the first 25 pages will be reserved for notes, the second 25 can be for interviews and the last 50 can be for data and number crunching. Your journal does not have to have a set order. The beauty of a journal is that it is there for you when you spontaneously need to jot down an important bit of information or some critical data.
2. Use paper sticky notes to jot down critical information on the fly. Stick them directly onto the page. Later, you can go back and organize the information in a more understandable and easily accessible way.
3. Write down information with a pencil. This will make it easier to correct mistakes or to switch around the order of data later.
4. Draw a data collection chart directly onto the journal pages. Data collection charts can be very simple. See the References Section for an example from NASA about dirt observations. Use a ruler to make straight lines for a chart or draw the chart free form. Make sure your column headings are clear and that you date each page.
