ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the efforts researchers could make to succeed in recruiting and maintaining participants during longitudinal diary research studies. Few articles have specifically explored the participant recruitment and retention practices in diary research, which is surprising considering that the diary method is so highly participant-dependent. The previous literature reflected the fact that researchers tended to use a variety of methods to expose their research to the target population. In relation to participant recruitment and retention strategies, another issue worth discussing is the participant–researcher relationship in diary studies, longitudinal ones in particular, considering researchers’ insider roles during the research process. Conducting a diary study with extensive commitment demands, it is important to have a participant-friendly research design in order to achieve the balance between obtaining the desired data collection outcomes and reducing participants’ burden in terms of data provision.
