Final answer:
Field notes refer to the researcher's descriptions of observations and extracted meaning from a text.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that refers to the researcher's descriptions of what he or she actually observes and the text from which meaning is extracted is field notes. Field notes are written records made by researchers during their observations or interactions in a natural environment, such as when conducting ethnographic research or participant observation. These notes capture the researcher's firsthand observations and the raw data that will be used for analysis and interpretation.