Observation Before Label
Witnesses should not be asked whether they experienced a “boundary hold,” “pattern set,” or “three-note.” Investigators first record ordinary-language descriptions, then apply glossary terms during review.
CGRSC terminology standard 5.4
Field Glossary
Council shorthand is used to compress recurring field conditions and evidence problems. Terms describe observations, procedures, or archive status; none should be treated as a statement about anatomy or taxonomic identity.
| Term | Definition | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary hold | A period in which an observed subject remains near the edge between open ground and cover without clearly approaching or withdrawing. | Behavior log |
| Three-note | Field shorthand for the commonly reported sequence of three separated whistles, whether or not preceded by a click. | Audio notes |
| Return whistle | A whistle sequence reported from a second location after a witness, animal, or recording produced a similar sound. Causation is not assumed. | Audio notes |
| Culvert event | Any report in which activity appears to begin, end, or concentrate at a drainage opening, storm conduit, or comparable passage. | Site classification |
| Route repeat | Apparent use of substantially the same path on two or more nights at a repeat site. | Repeat-site log |
| Object drift | Low-value property found displaced from its ordinary location without clear evidence of theft or weather movement. | Property evidence |
| Pattern set | Two or more displaced objects found in an apparently deliberate arrangement. The term describes geometry only and does not imply agency. | Property evidence |
| Cold porch | A repeat site where reported activity stops after a change in lighting, vegetation, access, occupancy, or observation pressure. | Site status |
| Second-edge | A second boundary line behind or beyond the witness’s primary focus, often where a later movement or sound is reported. | Scene sketch |
| Quiet frame | Motion-camera activation showing environmental change or partial obstruction but no interpretable subject. | Media review |
| Blank trigger run | Three or more unexplained camera or light activations during a limited period without a visible source. | Equipment log |
| Witness lock | A prolonged observation in which the witness reports remaining stationary because the subject appears to be watching from a fixed location. | Interview note |
| Break line | The point at which visual contact ends because the subject passes behind cover, terrain, a structure, or darkness. | Scene reconstruction |
| Carryover detail | A detail that appears only after witnesses have spoken with one another or reviewed earlier reports. Carryover details receive reduced weight. | Interview review |
| Clean first statement | A witness account recorded before Council terminology, other witness accounts, or prior local cases are discussed. | Evidence grading |
| Conventional close | A case closed after a known animal, person, environmental effect, equipment fault, or other ordinary cause adequately explains the report. | Case status |
| Unresolved remainder | The portion of a case that remains unexplained after identifiable conventional elements are removed. | Case review |
| Ham contamination | A case in which food was intentionally placed after initial activity, making later behavior difficult to interpret. The term applies regardless of the food actually used. | Methodology |
| Culvert temptation | An investigator’s urge to enter a confined drainage space to preserve contact or recover evidence. Council training treats this as a preventable field-safety error. | Safety training |
| Red-note case | An archive file requiring preservation review because evidence custody, dating, witness independence, or original documentation is incomplete. | Archive status |
Terms in Context
See Behavior & Habitat for recurring patterns, Safety Protocol for field restrictions, and Scientific Objections for known sources of interpretive error.
Compiled 1996. Amended piecemeal ever since. There is no edition number and there never has been.