Synonyms
Ad hoc sampling; Focal sampling; Single subject
Anecdotes are descriptions of events or phenomena, usually in narrative form. These descriptions can be true, false, or exaggerated, and anecdotes may be intended as accurate, humorous, engaging, or recountings of unexpected observations. In understanding human behavior and interaction, anecdotes are commonly used to delineate or illustrate character and motivations. In the study of history, anecdotes are used to illustrate events consistent with accepted understandings or to raise questions about these understandings (Gossman 2003). In western cultures, anecdotes about animals have an ancient lineage, with early Roman authors such as Aelian and Pliny the Elder describing intriguing instances (as well as accepted facts) about animal behavior, many taken from earlier (often Greek) sources. Aelian (2nd–3rd century AD/1958) offers an instance of dolphins escorting a wounded dolphin away from its human captors after scaring them,...
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Mitchell, R.W. (2017). Anecdote. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1036-1
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