Modifying the diary interview method to research the lives of people with dementia
Modifying the diary interview method to research the lives of people with dementia
Debates over involving people with dementia in qualitative research are extensive, yet the range of methods used is limited. Researchers tend to rely on interview and/or observation methods to collect data, even though these tools might preclude participation. I modified the conventional diary interview method to include photo and audio diaries in an effort to investigate the lives of higher functioning people with dementia through their participation. Sixteen active citizens with dementia kept a diary–written, photo, or audio diary, whichever suited them best—for one month. The purpose of this article is to share the methodological insights gained from this process in the context of emerging literature on sensory ethnography, and to argue for the broader application of the diary interview method in dementia-related research, on the grounds that it provides an equal relationship by making visible the “whole person,” including the environment in which that person lives.
dementia, diaries / journals, research, qualitative, research participation, visual methods
1717-1726
Bartlett, Ruth
b059d54d-9431-43a8-9d1d-19d35ab57ac3
Bartlett, Ruth
b059d54d-9431-43a8-9d1d-19d35ab57ac3
Abstract
Debates over involving people with dementia in qualitative research are extensive, yet the range of methods used is limited. Researchers tend to rely on interview and/or observation methods to collect data, even though these tools might preclude participation. I modified the conventional diary interview method to include photo and audio diaries in an effort to investigate the lives of higher functioning people with dementia through their participation. Sixteen active citizens with dementia kept a diary–written, photo, or audio diary, whichever suited them best—for one month. The purpose of this article is to share the methodological insights gained from this process in the context of emerging literature on sensory ethnography, and to argue for the broader application of the diary interview method in dementia-related research, on the grounds that it provides an equal relationship by making visible the “whole person,” including the environment in which that person lives.
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e-pub ahead of print date: 3 October 2012
Keywords:
dementia, diaries / journals, research, qualitative, research participation, visual methods
Organisations:
Faculty of Health Sciences
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 344598
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/344598
ISSN: 1049-7323
PURE UUID: 433522c0-0296-49c3-808b-43e038c7bf31
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Date deposited: 25 Oct 2012 15:19
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:39
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