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The Digital Diary: A Mobile, Multimodal, and Participatory Method and Part of Digital Ethnography: International Journal of Qualitative Methods

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Title: The Digital Diary: A Mobile, Multimodal, and Participatory Method and Part of Digital Ethnography: International Journal of Qualitative Methods
Authors: Palmberger, Monika
Source: International Journal of Qualitative Methods (IJQM). 24:1-12
Publisher Information: Sage Publications Ltd., 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Subject Terms: 504021 Migrationsforschung, 504021 Migration research, SDG 16 - Peace, 504008 Ethnographie, SDG 16 – Frieden, Gerechtigkeit und starke Institutionen, 509026 Digitalisierungsforschung, 504008 Ethnography, 509026 Digitalisation research, 509025 Technikforschung, 509025 Technology studies, Justice and Strong Institutions
Description: In this article I introduce the digital diary method as a multimodal, participatory qualitative approach for investigating everyday digital practices within digital ethnography. This method enables participants to document their media practices and daily activities over time by creating digital diaries that incorporate written, audiovisual, and creative elements. By encouraging the recording of multimodal data—including text, images, photos, voice recordings, and videos—the method provides rich insights into participants’ experiences and emotions. These diaries are later collaboratively reviewed and reflected on with researchers, and they offer a platform for both researchers and research partners to gain fresh insights and deeper understandings of the material discussed. The participatory nature of digital diaries highlights the agency of research partners, who maintain control over what they share and its interpretation, as illustrated through examples from my own research with refugees in Vienna on their transnational care relations. Applied selectively with key research partners, the method provided valuable insights, with participants gaining a deeper understanding of their media practices and care relationships through self-reflection. The integration of online and offline practices within these diaries demonstrates the interconnectedness of digital and lived experiences, challenging the traditional dichotomy between the two. Overall, the digital diary method not only enhances ethnographic research but also serves to explore the evolving role of digital media and its integration into broader social and cultural contexts.
Document Type: Article
Language: English
ISSN: 1609-4069
DOI: 10.1177/160940692513292
Access URL: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/72b006f7-504a-45dd-a760-2dca1f202eba
Rights: CC BY
Accession Number: edsair.dris...00911..efafc05c09e7b0d0245807f22b5cb2e2
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:In this article I introduce the digital diary method as a multimodal, participatory qualitative approach for investigating everyday digital practices within digital ethnography. This method enables participants to document their media practices and daily activities over time by creating digital diaries that incorporate written, audiovisual, and creative elements. By encouraging the recording of multimodal data—including text, images, photos, voice recordings, and videos—the method provides rich insights into participants’ experiences and emotions. These diaries are later collaboratively reviewed and reflected on with researchers, and they offer a platform for both researchers and research partners to gain fresh insights and deeper understandings of the material discussed. The participatory nature of digital diaries highlights the agency of research partners, who maintain control over what they share and its interpretation, as illustrated through examples from my own research with refugees in Vienna on their transnational care relations. Applied selectively with key research partners, the method provided valuable insights, with participants gaining a deeper understanding of their media practices and care relationships through self-reflection. The integration of online and offline practices within these diaries demonstrates the interconnectedness of digital and lived experiences, challenging the traditional dichotomy between the two. Overall, the digital diary method not only enhances ethnographic research but also serves to explore the evolving role of digital media and its integration into broader social and cultural contexts.
ISSN:16094069
DOI:10.1177/160940692513292