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Diary Methods: Capturing Life as it is Lived
Abstract
In diary studies, people provide frequent reports on the events and experiences of their daily lives. These reports capture the particulars of experience in a way that is not possible using traditional designs. We review the types of research questions that diary methods are best equipped to answer, the main designs that can be used, current technology for obtaining diary reports, and appropriate data analysis strategies. Major recent developments include the use of electronic forms of data collection and multilevel models in data analysis. We identify several areas of research opportunities: 1. in technology, combining electronic diary reports with collateral measures such as ambulatory heart rate; 2. in measurement, switching from measures based on between-person differences to those based on within-person changes; and 3. in research questions, using diaries to (a) explain why people differ in variability rather than mean level, (b) study change processes during major events and transitions, and (c) study interpersonal processes using dyadic and group diary methods.
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“Within-person analyses of repeated daily measures are particularly suited to investigating these short-term processes and linkages (Bolger, Davis, & Rafaeli, 2003).”
From What's love got to do with it? Social functioning, perceived health, and daily happiness in married octogenarians (2010) · cites this paper as Bolger, Davis, & Rafaeli, 2003
In the citing paper
“In this manner, retrospection is minimized, and therefore so are the effects of recall bias (20).”
From A diary study to open up the black box of overtime work among university faculty members (2008) · cites this paper as [20]
In the citing paper
“This methodology helps enhance compliance and provides precise information on time and date of diary entries.8,113,115”
From Psychological aspects of persistent pain: Current state of the science (2004) · cites this paper as [8]
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“Due to the limitation of repeated measurements, Bolger et al. (2003) proposed that researchers should design shorter scales to reduce the burden on participants as much as possible.”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Bolger, N., Davis, A., & Rafaeli, E.
- Affiliations
- New York University (US)
- Venue
- Annual Review of Psychology
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2003-02
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 579-616
- ISSN
- 0066-4308 (ISSN-L)
- 1545-2085
- OpenAlex
- W2166190112
- Cited by
- 3,843
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 210 · 2025: 205 · 2024: 203 · 2023: 161 · 2022: 212 · 2021: 257 · 2020: 282 · 2019: 207 · 2018: 204 · 2017: 214 · 2016: 177 · 2015: 215 · 2014: 180 · 2013: 206 · 2012: 195
- FWCI
- 5.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH060366)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- diary method, everyday experience, within-person variability, ambulatory heart rate, multilevel models, within-person change, interpersonal processes, life transitions, data collection technology
- MeSH terms
- Data Collection, Humans, Individuality, Life Change Events, Medical Records, Personality Assessment, Software, User-Computer Interface, Writing
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