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Chapter 3 - Using Video Diaries for Remote Observational Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2024

By
Steve Hagelman  and
Melinda Rea-Holloway
Edited by
Paul M.W. Hackett ,
Christopher M. Hayre ,
Dave Muller ,
Marcia Scherer  and
Ava Gordley-Smith
Paul M.W. Hackett
Affiliation:
Emerson College, Boston
Christopher M. Hayre
Affiliation:
The University of Canberra
Dave Muller
Affiliation:
Suffolk University, Massachusetts
Marcia Scherer
Affiliation:
University of Rochester Medical Center, New York
Ava Gordley-Smith
Affiliation:
University of Suffolk
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Summary

The authors have used video diaries extensively in corporate ethnography and have found them to be an essential tool in the collection of observational data in health care and consumer research. Drawing on their experience, the chapter explores video diaries’ practical uses in ethnographic research, detailing their strengths and weaknesses in the types of research questions they can help answer and the kinds of data they produce. The chapter also serves as a guide to incorporating video diaries into ethnographic and qualitative research, offering practical advice on topics including video diary guides, communication strategies with participants, and the advantages and disadvantages of mobile phone diaries versus free-standing camcorder diaries.

Keywords

video diariesobservational researchethnographydigital research methodsconsumer insightspatient journeys
Type
Chapter
Information
The Future of Qualitative Research in Healthcare
The Role and Management of Digital Methods
 , pp. 21 - 36
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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