An effective technique is to jot down abbreviated notes throughout the day as observations are made, and then use these notes to produce more detailed accounts at the end of each day. The notes should be periodically reviewed and systematically filed for use in the production of a coastal area profile. Participant observation should be seen as a "meta-method", one that can be applied in concert with any of the specific PCRA methods discussed below.

A stranger or a group of visitors (CWs, scientists) taking notes on a community resident or residents is sometimes viewed with reservation, suspicion and resentment. This is especially true if the reasons for the note-taking are not well understood or if permission is not first granted after an explanation. To avoid suspicion or resentment, a "warming up" period should always precede participant observations involving notebooks, videos, and audio recorder. The idea of "civilized" scientists interviewing the "natives" is no longer acceptable in this age of telecommunications and rising community spirit and values. Appropriate precautions must be taken that community residents do not get the wrong impression from the participant observation methods used.