ABSTRACT
The emotional dimensions of university environments has become an increasingly popular area of investigation for higher education (HE) researchers. While interest has grown, the question of which methods might be employed to gather data about emotions remains under-considered. This chapter explores the strengths and complexities of diary methods for HE scholarship on emotions via reflection on an empirical study about the affective-politics of doctoral education. I describe the diary instrument I used with doctoral researchers in order to record affective phenomena, and then reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of this research design. Across this chapter I develop an argument that diary research has significant advantages for investigations of felt experience. Solicited diaries enable data to be generated closer to an affective event, in a less-intrusive manner, and in a way that is efficient for researchers. Importantly, the longitudinal nature of diaries also enables researchers to identify affective flows and patterns over time. By offering these reflections I hope to offer HE researchers some points to consider when plotting future diary research projects.
