Are "field notes" considered public records?

Field notes, which contain the detailed observations and measurements taken by a surveyor during the course of a survey, are generally considered the intellectual property of the surveyor. This means that they are not automatically categorized as public records. Instead, they are the personal documentation of the surveyor's work and methods, and the ownership typically remains with the surveyor or the firm that employed the surveyor.

In Oklahoma, while some records relating to land surveys may become public documents once incorporated into official records, such as platted maps or documents submitted for public approval, the raw field notes themselves do not fall under this category until they are formally recorded or filed. Therefore, the original field notes remain the property of the surveyor until specific legal actions require otherwise.

Understanding this distinction highlights the importance of ownership rights in surveying practice and emphasizes that not all related documentation is automatically accessible to the public. This insight is vital for surveyors and clients alike when considering the confidentiality and proprietary nature of survey data.