Diary study checklist: before, during, and after the study
Use this checklist to track your progress through each phase of a diary study. Print it, copy it into your project management tool, or use it as a quality gate before moving to the next phase.
Before the study
- Research objectives written (2-4 specific questions)
- Study duration and entry frequency determined based on behavior cycle
- Daily diary prompts designed (varied across days, structured with context/behavior/emotion/media)
- Diary platform selected and configured (prompts, reminders, multimedia support)
- Screening questionnaire written (behavioral criteria, commitment assessment)
- Participants recruited (10-15 per segment, 20-30% over-recruited)
- Incentive structure defined (milestone-based, amounts confirmed)
- Onboarding session prepared (examples of good/poor entries, platform walkthrough)
- Consent and privacy documentation ready
- Pilot test completed (1-2 test participants run through 2-3 days)
During the study
- Onboarding session conducted with all participants
- Entries reviewed daily — follow-up questions asked on thin or interesting entries
- Reminder messages sent (varied, not repetitive)
- Dropout signals monitored (2+ missed entries = personal check-in)
- Midpoint milestone acknowledged (incentive, encouragement)
- Prompts adjusted if patterns or gaps emerge mid-study
- Entry quality tracked — participants contacted if entries degrade
After the study
- All entries exported and organized by participant and by day
- Each participant’s arc read individually (longitudinal journey)
- Entries coded for recurring themes, emotions, triggers
- Temporal patterns identified (what changes over days/weeks)
- Cross-participant themes built (patterns across 3+ participants)
- Follow-up interviews conducted with 5-8 key participants
- Insights written as observation + implication statements
- Report structured around longitudinal findings
- Raw data archived securely (consent-compliant storage)