Notes are the raw material of every finding. Write down what happened and what was said; leave what it means for later.
Written as practical advice. Where a step rests on established research practice, the source is listed under References. Nothing here is a universal rule.
Actions, words, hesitations, errors, workarounds. Use the participant's words where you can.
A quote in quotation marks is word for word. Anything else is a paraphrase.
A time next to a note lets you find it in the recording.
Put your own thoughts in a different column or colour, so they are not mistaken for evidence.
Fill gaps and expand abbreviations while you still remember what they meant.
Weak
User was confused by the form.
Better
Paused at the date field for about ten seconds, then typed 3/4/26 and got an error.
Why. The second can be checked, counted and fixed.
Weak
She liked the new dashboard.
Better
"Oh, that's better, I can see what's overdue."
Why. A quote keeps the evidence; a summary keeps only your reading of it.
Senior designer note“If your notes already contain the answer, you stopped observing.”
Reference