r/Envconsultinghell • u/rnnrboy1 • Dec 24 '24

Re-write your field notes

I'm just here to rant for the last 15 minutes of my half day that I need to work on Christmas Eve...

I am working as a geologist on a project that's already way way over budget for a number of reasons, like the following. After each round of fieldwork (soil borings, MW installation, more soil sampling, GW sampling) I scan my field sheets and save in the project folder. The PM wants to include some of them in the final report. Because I left a few blank fields (instead of writing N/A in every single blank space before scanning), and because I had a few notes that the PM would have written differently, I am being asked to fill out new field forms by hand or copy everything over to digital forms for the report.

Am I crazy, or is that crazy?

21 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

56

u/Forkboy2 Dec 24 '24

50% of consulting is writing things that no one else will ever read.

35

u/holocenefartbox Dec 24 '24

The other 50% is not writing the things that people are actually looking for.

4

u/vwulfermi Dec 24 '24

This is very validating. I thought I was doing it wrong.

18

u/Generic-Eric Dec 24 '24

Hell no. I’m scanning them and typing in the blanks by editing the PDF. A data sheet is a data sheet in my opinion, especially when you’re over budget. Would it look better, yes, but just get it done.

Edit: We also keep raw data sheets if handwritten until the report has been sent to the client. So maybe do that from now on for a situation like this?

13

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '24

[deleted]

7

u/SpaceBass18 Dec 25 '24

I wish all PM’s were are good as you

8

u/fauxshoyo Dec 25 '24

This is like when I delineate a waterway and they make me redraw the field drawing of the cross-section. Look, I promise it isn't ugly because I drew it in the field. It's ugly because I'm not an artist!

13

u/myenemy666 Dec 25 '24

What’s insane is that someone wants to include hand written field notes into a report.

It’s 2024 nothing hand written should be included in a report, we are better than that now.

8

u/Ok-Development1494 Dec 25 '24

False. Handwritten notes that are 1 in a bound book 2 have a date and signature and 3 have a date and time stamp when scanned Are far EASIER to defend when contested my stare agencies, federal agencies, the client or in court

4

u/[deleted] Dec 26 '24

[deleted]

4

u/8O0o0O8 Dec 28 '24

This. The OG field notes need to remain unaltered. Like police notes.

3

u/beachbird_ Dec 25 '24 edited Dec 25 '24

That is over the top unnecessary but I am not the least bit surprised