Diary Study

A research method that relies on participants to self-report their activities and routines that are relevant to the use of your product. The participant is asked to log all appropriate information that pertains the research goals.

Research Details

Research Type Sample Size Session Time
Qualitative, Attitudinal, Generative Medium (10 - 15 participants) 1 - 2 weeks (Analysis 2-3 days)

When to Use

  1. When behavior happens over time and cannot be adequately seen within a couple hours in a contextual inquiry or ethnographic study.
  2. To understand the context of the user’s goals, needs, and potentially when they use your product.
  3. To understand when the users needs are triggered and what triggers them.
  4. To understand the impact of your product on the user’s situation.


  1. Determine the activities you’d the participants to track and when (either in the moment of the activity or specific times of day).
  2. Determine how long you’d like them to track. Consider the variability of the activity - more variability equals more time.
  3. Create questions that you’d like your participants to answer every time they log their activity.
  4. Give the participants instructions. Ask the participants to reflect on their feelings during the activity.
  5. Begin the study.
  6. Check in with the participants halfway through.
  7. Collect the diaries.


  1. If you have in-person contact with participants, provide them with notebooks that they can write in.
  2. If you’re running the study remotely, have the participants send the diary entries daily so you can begin analysis throughout the study.
  3. Consider providing example entries to guide the participants one how to capture their thoughts and feelings.


  1. http://practicaluxmethods.com/product/diary-study/


  1. Research Plan

Created by: Joe Steinkamp | Last updated by: Joe Steinkamp