Field guides / Coded in Montana
Read the world carefully.
Know where to look. Know what to keep. Know what the record does not say.
OPEN METHODS Source links · not a live feed
01 / OBSERVEREADING GUIDE
Air & rail
Measure first.
Attribute carefully.
Keep an air measurement and a rail observation as separate records. Begin with the original monitoring source.
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- Keep the station, parameter, unit and measurement interval together.
- Separate the observation time from the time you obtained the record.
- Record the source and any published quality limitations.
- Leave a proposed source attribution as a question until supported.
Montana DEQ monitoring source ↗Open the publisher for current conditions. This guide does not provide health advice or a live reading.
02 / FOLLOW UPREADING GUIDE
Public records
Follow the record.
Keep its context.
Start with the issuing agency. Keep calls, reported offenses, investigations and inquest findings in their own categories.
Open the records checklist +
- Identify the publisher and the kind of record.
- Retain the date, coverage period and source identifier.
- Distinguish a scheduled hearing from a completed proceeding.
- Follow corrections and later findings without overwriting the original.
Billings official dashboard directory ↗Missoula County inquest information ↗These are source directories, not a complete incident register or a per-capita comparison.
FROM QUESTION TO RECORD
Bring the context.
Not just the conclusion.
A useful contribution keeps its original source, dates, permissions and limitations attached.