ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the literature on the versatile use of the diary method in higher education (HE) research, internationally and in India. It outlines the methodology of the mixed methods study within which the diary method nests, its design and the process of data collection. The diary method has been used to reveal the chronic nature of everyday sexism, racism and prejudice, its frequency and its socio-psychological implications for women and African American college students’ experiences. Diaries were incorporated as one of the qualitative tools in this mixed methods research, which used a multi-institutional case study design to gain a holistic understanding of the HE experiences of students and faculty members from the socially excluded groups in India. A pragmatic triangulation mixed methods research design was used, in which the qualitative and quantitative data were collected to utilise the strengths of both methods.
