This document provides guidance on using diaries as a qualitative research method. It discusses what constitutes a diary, best mediums for diaries, and exercises researchers can use. Diaries capture defined activities, behaviors or experiences over time and are respondent-generated. They can be given as homework before interviews. The best medium depends on the project but options include paper, online forums, mobile apps. The document provides tips for different diary exercises focused on usage, processes, and experiences. It discusses advantages and disadvantages of different mediums and ways to engage respondents. Case studies are also referenced.

1. Dear
Diary:
A practical
guide to
creating
meaningful
respondent
journals
Abby Leafe
New Leafe Research
www.newleaferesearch.com 1

2.  What is a diary?
 Which medium is best?
 Exercises to try
 Case studies
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3.  Respondent-generated
 Captures a defined activity, behavior or
experience
 Over time
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4. Diary Homework
Diaries can be given as ‘homework’ prior …but not everything you give as
to another qualitative encounter… homework is a diary.
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5.  We can’t be with respondents all the time…
 …and we might not want to be!
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6.  Respondents might have trouble
remembering
 Researchers might not be privy to
 Happen over an extended period of time
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7.  How is a product being used?
 What product features are…
Usage 

Useful or important?
Missing?
 Misunderstood?
 What pain points exist?
 How do consumers execute a specific task/process?
Process  What does the purchase decision look like in a
particular category?
 What is it like to _____?
Experience
 What types of messages/products/people are
consumers exposed to?
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8. Usage
Process Needs Opportunity
Experience
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9.  “Just the facts, ma’am”
 More reflective and analytical
 A combination of the two
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10. “Just give it to me in a
medium that works for me”
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12. Every medium has
advantages and
drawbacks.
Know which door to walk
through.
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13.  Smaller budgets
 Creative assignments
 Low tech respondents
 Easy access to diaries during follow-up
research
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14.  No researcher access during data collection
 Hassle factor – printing, shipping, collecting,
scanning, etc.
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16. Detailed instructions are important.
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17. “Model” what you want with an
example, if appropriate.
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18. Use space to show how much you
want respondents to give you.
Provide a place to go for help.
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19.  Paper can take the longest to set up and
execute, especially if you want a facility or
recruiter to distribute it.
 Consider whether you can enlist respondents to
print it themselves. (Risky, but can save time,
cost.)
 Do you want to collect it prior to in-person work?
 Early collection allows you to analyze it in advance;
make copies for client
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20.  Engaging clients
 Learning about respondents before they get
in the room
 Pre-screening respondents for follow-up
research
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21.  Not portable (although this is changing!)
 Can feel sterile – need to work to create
warm environment
 May not be a fit for all respondent types
 Cost usually not free
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22.  www.newqualitative.com
 But also consider creative
free solutions: blogging sites
like Blogger, photo sharing
sites like Flickr, etc.
 Evernote
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23.  Free is not always = practical
 For example – using a free photo site to share
photos…
 Issues around existing accounts, getting new ones
 Multi-step process means you will lose some
people
 How to share with clients?
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24.  Many online bulletin boards are set up for
threaded discussion – not what’s needed for a
diary
 Some providers have a more robust “diary”
functionality
 What do you want respondents to give you?
Text, video, photos, all of the above?
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25. Look for the ability
to offer a “recurring
activity”
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26.  Capturing data at the time it’s happening
• Shopping
• Travel
• Dining out
 “Just the facts”-type information collection
 Smartphone users
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27.  Mobile vs. online is a false distinction
 Mobile capabilities can be integrated into
many online research platforms
 Mobile can expand the number of daily
interactions with respondents
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28.  Data entry can prohibit longer responses,
more introspection
 Can’t use in all environments
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29.  All ‘mobile qual’ providers are not alike: What
do you need?
Respondents send in Mobile access to an A full-fledged app for
voice, photo, video online bulletin board smartphone users
entries to a central application
repository
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31.  Excel  Twitter
 Email  Photos
 Text/SMS  Pinterest
 Voice
 Video
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33.  Works great on paper
 Use a visual aid: easel paper, calendar, etc.
 Ask respondents to fill in activities relating to
the topic at hand
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34. Sample Timeline
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35.  Lends itself well to storytelling
 Vacations
 Shopping
 Purchase decision
 Product usage
 Etc.
 Captions are as important as pictures
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36. Photo Album idea
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37.  Goes beyond the basic ‘who, what, where,
when, why”
 Can capture the emotion or feeling around a
particular product or category
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38. Share at least 10 snippets of your “beer moments” over the next week, to be completed by
Sunday, March 11th.
CAPTURE THE MOMENT
Create and send snippets when you actually have a beer. It can be beers you have at home or out
on the town, just take ‘em and send ‘em as they happen. Don’t wait! We know you’re enjoying
your beer but if you don’t send right away there’s a good chance you’ll forget what went into that
choice later.
JUST BE YOURSELF
You’ve probably already had some good practice with posting party pics to Facebook! So don’t be
shy, try to faithfully document what goes into “beer-time” for you. The more descriptive you are
the more we’ll be able to learn about you and your beer preferences.
MIX IT UP
Get creative. Aim for a variety of photos to give us a well-rounded view of your experiences. It
doesn’t always have to be a picture of a bottle. It can be a beer menu or have a friend get a shot
of you with your drink!
ALL ABOUT THE BEER
We are focusing specifically on beer, not wine or liquor. It can be domestic, craft, cheap,
expensive, hoppy, or malty, but just make sure you capture every beer.
Thank you!
dScout
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39.  Works with any polarity:
 Yum/yuck
 Best/worst
 Good/bad
 Etc.
 Forces respondents to think about what’s
working and not working about a product or
service
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40. As you go about your week, think
about the things that you do
related to cash management that
are particularly easy or particularly
hard. They might be online, on • Task name (or photo of the task)
your computer but not using the
internet, or on paper. As these
• Describe what you’re doing
things happen, record them in the
space provided.
• Easy or hard?
• Why?
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41.  Helpful when clients want to understand
consumer attitudes/ beliefs around a higher
order benefit
 Works when respondents may find it hard to
articulate what they really think
 Also great for ad development!
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42. Capture 5 snippets
completing the sentence
“Clean is…” in the title of
your snippet.
Think of it like a Mad Lib as
it applies to how you think
about cleanliness. Try to
make sure each snippet
captures a different aspect
of cleanliness. WHAT makes
you feel clean? HOW do you
feel when you feel clean?
WHEN do you feel the
cleanest? Give us the full
“clean” picture.
Thank you!
dScout
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43.  Can be a variant of a more basic journal
(maybe 1 day of a longer diary)
 Ask respondents to ‘go without’ for the day
and journal their experiences at set intervals
 Allow them a certain number of ‘cheats’ if
possible – but they have to journal about the
cheat(s)
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44. This week, you’ve told me all about your
coffee moments (and I’ve enjoyed reading
them!). Today…I want you to go without
coffee for the day. So instead of telling me
about your coffee moments, tell me about
your “non-coffee moments”: those times
when you would have had coffee but didn’t.
• What was happening at the time?
• What did you have instead?
• How did you feel during? Afterwards?
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45. Thank you!
Revelation, 20/20, dScout
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47. Case studies will be included in the actual live presentation
but are not included in this advance copy of the deck.
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48. Abby Leafe
215.497.4974
abby@newleaferesearch.com
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