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Observation log holds what the student did at particular moments, each with its time. General notes holds what was true across the session, including behavior you expected and didn’t see. Context holds the setting.
1

Set up

Set up an observation and choose Anecdotal. You don’t need a behavior list. Set a length or choose No limit; either way, you end the observation yourself. Turn on Track activities if you want entries filed by activity.
2

Start

Select Start when you begin observing. If you haven’t, typing a timed entry starts the clock.
3

Write a timed entry

Type in Student actions at this moment… at the top of Observation log, then press Return or Enter. Describe what you saw, such as “Erased an answer twice, then raised his hand.” The time beside the line is fixed when you first type or add a tag, so it stays the moment you saw it while you finish writing.
Anecdotal Recording screen with a draft, captured time, tag chips, and two timed entries in Observation log on the left, plus an empty Context field and one saved note in General notes on the right.

Two timed entries and a draft in Observation log, with a saved note in General notes on the right. Shown in demo mode.

4

Write a general note

Press ⌘Return or Ctrl+Enter to save the line to General notes, without a time. Or select the time beside the line so it reads General, then press Return or Enter. After each save, the line goes back to a timed entry.With the line empty, ⌘Return or Ctrl+Enter switches it to General before you type. The ⌘↵ button (Ctrl+↵ on Windows) beside the General notes heading does the same and puts the cursor in the line.
5

Add context

In Context on the right, note the setting, who was present, and anything unusual.
6

End and save

Save the last entry; an unsaved draft isn’t kept. Select End and confirm, then save.

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Tags and quick phrases

To tag an entry, select a tag chip below the line, or type # and choose a tag. To create one, type its name and select Create #name; it’s added to Library → Hashtags. Quick phrases appear as pale text as you type: press Tab to accept one. Use hashtags and quick phrases

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Where your data appears

In Results, the Observation log card lists your timed entries with their times, and the General notes card follows. Sightline computes no numbers for an anecdotal record, so any count you report from it is your own. Results explained With Track activities on, choosing an activity in Results shows only the timed entries whose time falls during that activity. General notes always show.

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Good to know

Made a mistake? Select the entry, change its text, and select Save. From there you can also move an entry between Observation log and General notes, or delete it. A note moved into the log takes the current time, not the time you wrote it. ⌘Z or Ctrl+Z only undoes typing. Fix a mistake covers changes after saving.