Research Diaries and Logs

1
Research Diaries and Logs

• In Masters Level Projects

2
Diary use an overview

• As a way for the researcher to record their
  methods and approaches. Invaluable at the time of
  writing up.
• As a tool within research to record actions,
  behaviours, thoughts etc. of participants.
• -Quantitative data
• Frequency of unit of measurement
• -Qualitative
• Content analysis
• Types of research in which diaries may be
  useful
• Action research
• Record problem solving actions and details of
  analysis or research designed to predict or shape
  future change
• Case study
• In depth account over a certain time period

3

• Ethnographic
• Detailed accounts of the researchers involvement
  with the subjects or participants observations,
  taking part, field notes, reflection, etc.
• Survey
• Particularly for frequency measurements
• Experiment
• Researcher field notes, participant reactions
• Narrative
• Of the research process
• Evaluation research
• Difficulties encountered, good points,
  recommendations, etc.

4
Diaries and logs

• Diary an ongoing account. More often associated
  with free writing.
• Log shortened version, often using a pro-forma
  with headings
• Features
• Focus
• What is the researcher looking for? Two
  possibilities focus of research may be known or
  become obvious to those taking part, or the focus
  may be hidden (if this does not present an
  ethical dilemma).
• Created for the research purpose
• Written at agreed intervals or in response to
  events
• Sole method or part of a range of methods
• The writers perspective
• The depth to which the writers perspective is
  analysed will vary from project to project. You
  may consider content analysis, and perspectives
  will be particularly important with small numbers
  of subjects.
• Contemporaneous
• Recording in real time.
• Often reflective
• Reflection is considered an important tool in
  qualitative research (Tesch 1990, in Robson,
  2002).

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Advantages

• Unobtrusive
• Diaries can be relatively unobtrusive to the
  participant (Green et al, 2006)
• Manageable
• Familiar task so manageable or un-daunting?
• Socially acceptable
• Diary keeping is already an activity that is
  accepted in mainstream culture (King, 2004)
• Easy to use
• The idea of keeping a diary is widely
  understood. In-depth instructions can also be
  provided.
• Portable
• Easily transportable, therefore increasing
  chances of compliance to the intervention
  rules.
• Real time, and in a natural context
• Encouragement not to back fill so that
  experiences are recorded accurately. Laurenceau
  Bolger (2005) diaries allow the examination of
  experiences in their natural context. Alternative
  to traditional lab settings or meetings the
  natural setting (Piasecki et al. 2007) More
  comfortable for participants? More chance of
  agreeing to participate? Less daunting?
• Willingness to reveal
• Some people may be more comfortable telling the
  researcher about their experiences indirectly
  rather than face to face.

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• Possible difficulties or disadvantages
• .though many can be controlled for by the
  researcher.
• Compliance
• Particularly where the participant is on their
  own, are they complying with the instructions or
  cheating? Hopko et al. (2003 non-compliance is
  a limitation of much of the research to date that
  incorporates diary-methods. Post-intervention
  questioning would be valuable to ascertain how
  well participants engaged with intervention.
  Editing for future use, and recognition in
  writing up.
• Forgetfulness
• Bolger et al. (2003) two of the greatest
  restrictions to diary methods are honest
  forgetfulness and retrospective error, which
  defeat the main benefit of diaries.
• Truthfulness
• Bolger et al. (2003) participants may not be
  completely truthful in their diary-entries if
  they think that other people will read what they
  write.
• Writing procedure
• Duncan Gidron (2006) disclosure should be
  organised, self-reflective, timed and
  controlled. Kacewitz et al. (2007) the more
  the topic or writing assignment is constrained,
  the less successful it usually is. Need to
  strike a balance between instructing sufficiently
  but not constraining. No specific length of
  writing time more successful than any other.

7
Blogs (weblogs)

• Online diary
• From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• An online diary is a personal diary or journal
  that is published on the world wide web on a
  personal website or a diary hosting website.
  Online diaries began in 1994. As a community
  formed, these publications came to be almost
  exclusively known as online journals. Today they
  are almost exclusively called blogs, though some
  differentiate by calling them personal blogs. The
  running updates of online diarists combined with
  links inspired the term 'web log' which was
  eventually contracted to form the word blog.
• In online diaries, people write their day-to-day
  experiences, social commentary, complaints,
  poems, prose, illicit thoughts and any content
  that might be found in a traditional paper diary
  or journal. They often allow readers to
  contribute through comments or community posting.

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Other electronic tools

• Video cameras
• Digital cameras
• Big brother scenarios

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Examples of use and discussion

• How the rules of diaries can be incorporated
• Discussion
• Reflections on ideas presented so far, and own
  ideas. Use of diaries
• as a research tool?
• as a researcher tool?
• Your own projects
• How will you use diaries?
• Anticipated problems? How will you overcome?
• Group brainstorming?

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• References
• Bolger, N., Davis, A. Rafaeli, E. (2003). Diary
  Methods Capturing Life as it is Lived. Annual
  Review of Psychology, 54, 579-616. .
• Duncan, E. Gidron, Y. (unpublished manuscript).
  Written-disclosure going beyond deepest thoughts
  and feelings.
• Green, A.S., Rafaeli, E., Bolger, N., Shrout, P.
  Reis, H.T. (2006). Paper or Plastic? Data
  Equivalence in Paper and Electronic Diaries.
  Psychological Methods, 11, 87-105.
• Kacewitz, E., Slatcher, R.B. Pennebaker, J.W.
  (2007) Expressive Writing An alternative to
  traditional methods. Retrieved Feb 21, 2008, from
  http//homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/Students/S
  latcher/cv/KacewitzSlatcherPennebaker_Labate.pdf
• King, C.A. (2004). A Promising Psychosocial
  Intervention Next Steps Include Systematic Study
  and Creative Extension. Clinical Psychology
  Science and Practice, 11, 143-146.
• Laurenceau, J. Bolger, N. (2005). Using Diary
  Methods to Study Marital and Family Processes.
  Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 19, 86-97.
• Hopko, D.R., Armento, M.E.A., Cantu, M.S.,
  Chambers, L.L. Lejuez, C.W. (2003). The use of
  daily diaries to assess the relations among mood
  state, overt behaviour, and reward value of
  activities. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 41,
  1137-1148.
• Piasecki, T.M., Hufford. M.R., Solhan, M.
  Trull, T.J. (2007). Assessing Clients in Their
  Natural Environments With Electronic Diaries
  Rationale, Benefits, Limitations, and Barriers.
  Psychological Assessment, 19, 25-43.
• Robson, C. (2002) Real World Research 2nd
  Edition. Blackwell Publishers, UK.