What is recording observations?

Write down what you observed before writing what you think it means.

Example: After a tense meeting, you write: 'The VP interrupted the presenter three times. Two people looked at their phones. The presenter's voice got quieter after the second interruption.' That's observation. 'The VP doesn't respect the presenter' is conclusion. Record the first set completely before you allow yourself to write the second.

This concept is part of Observation Without Judgment in the How to Think curriculum, which builds the epistemic infrastructure for observation without judgment.