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142 CHAPTER 6 Diaries

are a requirement to ensure a valid outcome. When deciding to do a diary study, one
of the first questions is who will take part in the diary study? While survey methods
sometimes call for strict random sampling, this is not realistic for a diary study and
it is generally not feasible to get 500 or 1000 users to record diaries. However, strict
representation is not as important for diaries as it is for large-scale surveys or experi-
mental design. Many research projects start out with a hypothesis that needs to be
tested with statistics. However, diaries should be used when the goal is not to test a
hypothesis, but rather, to learn more about situations or behaviors that are not well-
understood (Alaszewski, 2006).
In survey research and experimental research, the goal generally is to re-
cruit large numbers of individuals. However, with diary research, it is gener-
ally more important to connect with individuals who can provide useful insight
(Alaszewski, 2006). Often, an initial set of users can provide access to other
users that they know who are also willing to take part in the diary study, a tech-
nique called snowball sampling. An introduction from a trusted source (such as
a well-known organization or individual) to potential diarists can help in recruit-
ing potential diarists. It is important to make sure that potential diarists are rep-
resentative of the user population of interest. Not only must the potential diarists
meet certain demographic rules (e.g., women over 70 years old) but they must
also have a appropriate level of computer experience and a willingness to take
part. In the past, computer users, who were often primarily technically oriented
people, might not have been as open about their lives. However, as technology
has spread throughout the entire population, and as social networking sites (e.g.,
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and blogging have become popular, many
more individuals are likely to feel comfortable with the process of keeping a
diary. The challenge may not be in recruiting people who are comfortable with
and capable of keeping a diary, but rather making sure that you can recruit users
that meet the demographic qualifications necessary. Potential diarists must not
only meet demographic requirements but also possess three qualities (modified
from Alaszewski (2006)):

• an understanding of the purposes of maintaining the diary;
• the motivation to keep a regular and accurate record; and
• competence in using the technology that is the subject of the diary and the
method used to record the diary.
The diary study must be structured in a way that yields useful data without im-
posing an unreasonable burden on the lives of the diarists. For instance, keeping the
diary should not in any way negatively impact on the diarists' employment, health,
or relationships with others. A payment of some form (either money or a product)
should be offered to the diarists for their participation. Sometimes, when diaries are
used to understand new technology, the diarist is allowed to keep, free of charge,
the technology about which they have been recording diary entries. Of course, as in
any type of research, the participants need to be informed of their rights and their