Diary Studiescodrutagosa@yahoo.co.uk

Introspective methodsIntrospectionThe process of observing and reflecting on ones thoughts, feelings, motives, reasoning processes, and mental states with a view to determining the ways in which these processes and states determine our behaviour (Nunan, 1994)

Introspective techniquesTechniques in which data collection is simultaneous with the mental events/tasks being investigated

Some introspective methodsThink-aloud techniques/protocols The respondents are asked to complete a task or solve a problem and verbalise their thought processes as they do soThey are recorded on tape

Diary studies

1. Defining Diary StudiesA diary study is a first-person account of a previously identified personal experience, documented through regular, candid entries in a personal journal and then analysed for recurring patterns or salient events.

Bailey, K. M., 1991: 'Diary Studies of classroom language learning: the doubting game and the believing game', in Sadtono, E. (ed.) Language Acquisition and the Second/Foreign Language Classroom, Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre (Anthology Series 28): 60-102

Other labels used:LogsJournals

Useful to distinguish between: diaries 'as an open-ended narrative genre' in which 'any kind of information - factual, feelings, attitudes, reactions - may in principle be included' diaries in diary studies 'commissioned for research purposes'. In this last case 'although the diary remains a personal account, the domain is quite tightly specified by the researcher ...'.

McDonough, J. and McDonough, S., 1997: Research Methods for English Language Teachers, London, New York: Arnold

Ethical issuesThe distinction is quite useful because it mitigates one of the major ethical problems posed by diary studies: namely how ethical it is to intrude on people's thoughts recorded in their diaries. If the diarist is aware that the diary is kept for research purposes, the question of intrusion is brought in the open.

2. Development of Diary StudiesFirst proposed by Progoff (1975), as a research instrument to develop self-awareness in psychotherapy.Schumann and Schumann (1977) - first researchers to use diaries as a language learning research instrument Baileys (1980) diary study where she retrospected upon her experience as a language learner of French - one of the most quoted in applied linguistics research

3. Types of Diary StudiesDiary studies with introspective (first-person) analysis - diary studies in which the diarist and the analyst are one and the same Diary studies with non-introspective analysis diary studies in which the researcher does the analysis of the diary/ies kept by (a) different person/s

4. Diary Studies Procedures1) Gathering background details (account of diarists personal histories), if the case2) Keeping a daily record (systematic retrospective account of perceived experiences)3) Primary editing (diaries revised for public consumption by diarist)4) Preliminary analysis (preliminary reading of data and identification of issues)5) Selection of issues to focus on (design a category system)6) Final analysis7) Preparation of the final report

CriticismValidity of results problematic: cannot be extrapolated to other cases, so they are not reliable and valid methods for conducting researchthe subjectivity of the researcher

StrengthsThese kinds of data cannot be collected in any other wayThey provide rich insights into some of the psychological, social and cultural factorsThey allow the researcher to have a look inside the black box (Long, 1980) It gives access to otherwise unobservable aspects of the researched topicAlmost complete open-endednessVery useful for exploratory, hypothesis seeking processesThe subjectivity of the researcher

Task 1Try to solve the following anagram:NHPEHPand verbalise orally what goes on in your heads while doing it

Task 2For five minutes try to verbalise in writing what goes on in your heads about diary studies at this moment

Assignment Keep a diary for a week Keep a daily record of anything you consider important connected to your learning experiences, both curricular and extracurricular. Some possible issues to focus on: what you have learntunder what circumstanceswhere you werewhy you think you have learnt that particular thingwhether you think it will be usefulhow you feel about keeping a diary