Keep a useful observation

Start with the question

A broad subject can produce an unlimited pile of material. A small question gives that material a purpose. Instead of recording everything about a process, ask which step produced an unexpected result and what a successful result would have looked like.

Write the question in ordinary language. If it contains several independent uncertainties, choose one to begin with and leave the others as separate questions.

Include the conditions

The time, the input and the part of the work being observed often matter as much as the result. Keep those conditions beside the observation. If they change, preserve the earlier reading rather than quietly replacing it with a later one.

A short record can be precise without becoming a transcript. Include the details that let someone distinguish this attempt from the next one.

Preserve the original meaning

A measurement may support a narrow conclusion without explaining every cause. Describe what the result shows before suggesting why it happened. Keep those two statements separate. A reader returning later can then use the observation even if the first explanation turns out to be incomplete.