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Evaluating the audio-diary method in qualitative research.
Williamson, I. Leeming, D. Lyttle, S. Johnson, Sally E.
Williamson, I.
Leeming, D.
Lyttle, S.
Johnson, Sally E.
Publication Date
2015
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This article is © Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here: https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk. Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
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Abstract
Purpose – Audio-diary methods are under-utilised in contemporary qualitative research. The purpose
of this paper is to discuss participants and researchers’ experiences of using audio-diaries alongside
semi-structured interviews to explore breastfeeding experiences in a short-term longitudinal study
with 22 first-time mothers.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide a qualitative content analysis of the
participants’ feedback about their experiences of the audio-diary method and supplement this with
the perspectives of the research team based on fieldwork notes, memos and team discussions. The
authors pay particular attention to the ways in which the data attained from diaries compared with
those from the interviews.
Findings – The diaries produced were highly heterogeneous in terms of data length and quality.
Participants’ experiences with the method were varied. Some found the process therapeutic and useful
for reflecting upon the development of breastfeeding skills whilst negative aspects related to lack of
mobility, self-consciousness and concerns about confidentiality. Researchers were positive about the
audio-diary method but raised certain ethical, epistemological and methodological concerns. These
include debates around the use of prompts, appropriate support for participants and the potential of
the method to influence the behaviour under scrutiny. Interview and diary accounts contrasted and
complemented in ways which typically enriched data analysis.
Practical implications – The authors conclude that audio-diaries are a flexible and useful tool for
qualitative research especially within critical realist and phenomenological paradigms.
Originality/value – This appears to be the first paper to evaluate both participants and researchers’
experiences of using audio-diaries in a detailed and systematic fashion.
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Citation
Williamson, I., Leeming, D., Lyttle, S. and Johnson, S. (2015) Evaluating the audio-diary
method in qualitative research. Qualitative Research Journal 15 (1); 20-34.
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