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Diaries and Journals

As narrative methods gain popularity in the social sciences and other disciplines, so does the use of diaries and journals as valuable qualitative tools. The word diary is derived from the Latin diarium (daily allowance), and the word journal is derived from the Old French jour (day). Although both terms relate to first-person chronological records, each yields distinctive types of data. Diaries are generally used to track participants' daily activities and objective experiences, whereas journals capture writing that includes emotion, introspection, and self-reflection. This entry explores ways in which both diaries and journals can be used effectively in qualitative research projects.

Overview

Although written self-stories existed before the 10th century, it was at this time in history that personal diaries were popularized by Japanese women of royalty who secretly recorded their fantasies and fears in “pillow books.” These clandestine tomes heralded a new genre of writing that highlighted self-expression and feelings rather than mere historical or factual events.

During later centuries, the practice of diary keeping exploded as literacy and self-reflective practices increased across the globe. During the early 1900s, two influential figures advocated the benefits of reflective writing: Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung extolled the diary as a unique tool for recording dreams and exploring the unconscious, and Anais Nin's published diaries encouraged women to pursue self-fulfillment and creativity through habitual writing.

The mass publication of Anne Frank's diary was followed by widespread marketing of pastel-colored books with tiny locks and keys during the 1950s. Although diaries were promoted as an adolescent female hobby, within two decades this trivialization of diaries would abate with the publication of Tristine Rainer's book, The New Diary, in 1978. Rainer emphasized that internal probing and consequent awareness of one's feelings, thoughts, and actions is inarguably beneficial and can increase lifelong happiness. Likewise, Ira Progoff's book, At a Journal Workshop, became immensely popular during the late 1970s and solidified the place of self-writing as a tool for transformation. From their rich historical beginnings to the current day, diaries and journals have been kept by both men and women across the globe for personal, professional, and academic purposes.

Diaries

In academic research, diary writing is beneficial in eliciting personal yet structured responses. Diaries have been used in the academic realm to study a large spectrum of human activities, including but not limited to sexual and dating practices, sleep habits, exercise routines, television viewing, social activities, food consumption, educational pursuits, eating behaviors, work interactions, internet habits, leisure activities, cell phone use, travel routines, menstrual and fertility cycles, and a wide range of physical and mental health events. Diaries are particularly appropriate in recording routine or everyday processes that are otherwise unnoticed if not documented. Researchers may want to employ diaries as a method when extant research data are useful but there is a gap in the literature pointing to a need for nuanced information that is best captured by hourly or daily responses over time.

Many qualitative studies use diary analysis to observe, improve, or enhance people's practices by tracking their patterns and cycles. Checklists are often used with formats resembling survey and questionnaire techniques. Such diaries can assist health care professionals in diagnosing patients' symptoms, adjusting medication type or dosage, and ensuring compliance with prescribed medical protocols. Regardless of the discipline in which they are used, diaries can provide researchers with enlarged and detailed “snapshots” of what people have experienced.

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