Ethnographic Map Annotation Tool (World Map Version)

Fieldnotes / Annotations

Please avoid identifying others without consent. Use initials or roles when needed.

Fieldnote (Annotation)

**Important:** Drive files must be set to "Anyone with the link" for embedding to work.

About this tool

This free tool, developed by Open Field, lets you create ethnographic annotations as points, paths, and areas on an interactive world map. Notes are stored locally in your browser. To learn more about ethnographic mapping please read chapter 3 of Multimodal Ethnography

How to use

  • Point, Path, Area: choose a drawing mode, then click on the map to add geometry. After drawing, a form opens to enter title, time, people, narrative, tags, and visibility.
  • Saving: after you fill the form, press Save. Annotations appear in the list and on the map. Data persists via local storage in your browser.
  • Search and filter: use the search box to match text in title or narrative, the tag filter for tags, links to video, audio, or image stored on Google Drive, and the visibility selector for public or private.
  • Manage annotations: each list item has Zoom, Edit, and Delete. Zoom centers the map on the item. Edit reopens the form. Delete removes it.
  • Export: Export JSON saves a structured file of all annotations. Export CSV saves a spreadsheet style file with key fields.
  • Import: Import lets you load a previously exported JSON file to restore annotations.
  • Location: the map attempts to center on your current location when loaded. If permission is denied, it centers on the UBC Point Grey campus, he traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) People
  • Clustering: map points are clustered at low zoom for readability. Paths and areas render directly.
  • Privacy: do not include identifying details without consent. Prefer initials or roles.