What is it? A dedicated attendee in a qualitative research session whose role is to record what the participant(s) is expressing or doing. Note takers ensure everything is captured accurately in an efficient and timely manner. This assists in analysis and synthesis and helps mitigate bias that may be introduced by relying on moderator / stakeholder team memory, or poor / inconsistent moderator note taking, or even a failed recording. 

When is it best used? During all live, in-person or remote, qualitative research sessions including interviews, ethnographies, and group discussions. Note taking can also be used to increase stakeholder engagement, provide new researchers first hand exposure, report writers a head start, and serve as a sounding board for the lead researcher.

What does it entail? Capturing what the participant(s) is expressing or doing either in chronological order or according to a predetermined framework. Both require quick and active observation, concentration, listening and documenting skills to capture the learnings digitally or physically often in real time.

Notes may include quotes and observations of participant’s actions, responses, tone of voice, their environment etc. and may also include photos that document additional information (e.g. outputs from an activity). 

Interchangeable term:  Documentarian, scribe

Use in a Sentence: The note taker captured everything that happened during the session and this work expedited our team’s analysis and synthesis.

Related Terms: Observer, Moderator

Visual: Yes

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