Diary Methodology

This four-part workshop series provides an introduction to using solicited diaries as a research tool. The main goal of the course is to add diary methodology to students’ research toolboxes. It is a flexible and versatile tool that has been used by researchers in many fields, including public health, nursing, psychology, media studies, education, and sociology. The workshop is suitable for anybody interested in learning more about the method and/or using diaries in their research.

The course covers the use of qualitative and quantitative types of diaries, both as a self-standing tool and as a part of mixed-method research designs. The lectures and workshops aim to provide theoretical and practical foundations, as well as first-hand experience with solicited diaries as a research tool. The course also provides unique insights into diary data analysis and its challenges.

The course is equally driven by lectures and student participation/practicums. The initial workshop (Week 1) provides a solid theoretical introduction to the diary methodology, including the history of the method, qualitative and quantitative variants, modes of delivery, and use of technology. The follow-up workshops sequentially advance this knowledge base through practical exercises and discussions (Weeks 2 & 4), as well as a specialist lecture (Week 3) on data management, participant communication, ethics and data analysis.

• University Students from Tier 1 Departments
• Further details regarding eligibility criteria are available here

Number of sessions: 4

A lecture and a student-led practicums.

There is no mandatory textbook for this course.

If you want to know more about the methodology before enrolling into the course these two brief readings will give you a good idea of what kind of empirical insights you can get from a diary study.

Hislop, J., Arber, S., Meadows, R., & Venn, S. (2005). Narratives of the Night: The Use of Audio Diaries in Researching Sleep. Sociological Research Online, 10(4).

Annotation: The authors utilized diaries (oral recordings) to capture participants’ reflections on sleeping and sleep disruption

Meth, P. (2003). Entries and Omissions: Using Solicited Diaries in Geographical Research. Area, 35(2), 195-205.

Annotation: The author used open-ended diaries to explore about women’s experiences and reflections on instances of violence they witnessed or experienced.

This module is not assessed.

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