ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the range of diary options, including text-based, image-based, online and offline, and the kinds of projects and participants they suit. The diary study has long been an essential item in the social researcher’s toolkit, and now occupies a similar role in UX research. Diary-based methods can provide insight into issues like people’s preferred spaces and routes, types of journeys, use of amenities and attitudes to local features. Some participants will be more comfortable with image-based diary projects, where they submit photos or videos. Written diaries are a time-honoured research method, in which participants record a handwritten account of their activities over a specified period. This method has a directness and natural quality that participants often prefer, especially those less confident with technology.
