Diary studies are carried out in the early phase of the audience research. They provide information about the type and chronology of users’ activities on a day-to-day basis. Similar to Twitter status updates, users submit statements about what they currently do (or try to do) in order to carry out their job. An aggregated and structured view of these statements helps to establish tasks, priorities, and the level of satisfaction with current systems and tools.
Benefits in a nutshell
- A diary study is a quick and inexpensive way to find out about users actual tasks and activities
- It provide insight into users’ actual needs and context
- It allows a large number of participants to contribute synchronously