Field notes should be recorded in all of the following ways, except:

Field notes are crucial in the profession of private investigation as they serve as a record of observations, interviews, and other important details gathered during an investigation. When considering the best practices for recording field notes, certain formats provide more advantages than others.

Using a small notebook, a loose-leaf notebook, or a bound notebook tends to encourage thorough documentation because these options ensure that the notes remain intact and organized. A bound notebook, for instance, secures the pages together, making it difficult to remove or lose pages—this is vital for maintaining a complete and verifiable record.

In contrast, a notebook with removable pages can lead to potential issues. The pages can be inadvertently or intentionally removed, jeopardizing the integrity of the record-keeping process. This lack of permanence can create gaps in documentation, which may be problematic if the notes need to be recalled for legal purposes or detailed reports. Maintaining a consistent and secure format for field notes is paramount to preserving an accurate and reliable account of investigative work. Thus, the use of a notebook that allows for removable pages is not ideal for field notes.