Guides
A field-observation record you can use
Keep what you see separate from what you think it means. Use this worksheet locally to make an observation understandable and reviewable.
Prepare a useful record
Print this page using your browser, or copy the field names into your own notes. Keep precise locations and personal details in your own record; you do not need to submit them to SHAMAL.
Use “unknown” when information is unavailable. A missing image date or resolution should remain visible as a limitation.
Observation worksheet
| Field | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Record ID | |
| Observation date | |
| Data source and credit | |
| Acquisition date, or unknown | |
| Data type | |
| Scale and resolution, or unknown | |
| Private location reference, if needed | |
| What is visibly observed | |
| Interpretation | |
| Alternative explanations | |
| Independent evidence and its limits | |
| Questions still unresolved | |
| Appropriate next check | |
| Access and permission status |
From a pattern to a testable question
This is an organizational aid, not a detection result, safety assessment or permission to enter or disturb a site.
- Describe the visible shape, contrast or change before naming a possible hidden feature.
- Write at least one alternative explanation and the evidence that could distinguish it.
- Choose an appropriate independent check and record what that check actually establishes.
- Keep an unresolved outcome when the evidence does not settle the question.