kind of method to determine where the location in surveys contracts?

[Bacterius]

But the EVA contracts don't specify "standing on". Trust me, I've been doing plenty of survey missions with EVA reports required, no ladders, and visiting multiple sites, flying between them.

And for "parking brake", yes, you can select the brakes (bottom of the three small buttons right of the altitude gauge) and they'll stay permanently on (until the button is reselected or you press the brake key again)

They do specify "on the surface" however. I am not 100% sure but I do recall at least one occasion where I took the EVA report on the ladder and nothing happened, then let go and took the report on the surface and completed the survey (it was on Gilly).

[Anquietas314]

They do specify "on the surface" however. I am not 100% sure but I do recall at least one occasion where I took the EVA report on the ladder and nothing happened, then let go and took the report on the surface and completed the survey (it was on Gilly).

An EVA report on a ladder counts as "in flight over ___" generally, or "in space low over ___". If you stand on the plane/ship/... rather than the ladder, it will count as being on the surface.

[AndrewBCrisp]

Damien: thanks for the brake tip - you've made my life a lot easier!

RE: Ladders, hatches, etc. I've just completed another surface survey and I can confirm the distinction armagheddonsgw makes: At least hanging on to the hatch on a plane (Mk 1 cockpit, so the Kerbal is almost upright on exit anyway)is somehow treated by the game as being "on the surface", allowing me to complete the survey without having to touch kerbin firma, as it were. Previous experiences were with the Mk 1 command pod and they treated hanging onto the hatch as "flying" as others have noted. I'm not entirely sure if it's the capsule, distance from the ground, orientation/posture of the Kerbal on egress, or some combination of the three that determines if you're "on the surface" or "flying over". Further experimentation might help to refine the characteristic.

This last survey also spotlighted some errors in my previous survey walkthrough post. I'm editing that post now with the corrections.