Summary: Participants log daily activities as they occur to give contextual insights about real-time user behaviors and needs.
Defining Diary Studies
A diary study is a qualitative user research method used to collect insights about user behaviors, activities, and experiences over time and in context.
During a diary study, participants report their interactions and experiences as they occur over a period ranging from a few days, weeks, to a month or longer.
For example, in a diary study investigating how nurses interact with patient health records in a hospital setting, we may ask nurses to log all their activities involving health records.