Research Diaries

Dear Participant,
This documents aims to explain to you the main issues related to the Research Diary that you are preparing to undertake over the next few weeks. It delineates the aims, guidelines, and outcomes of this very special part of our research project. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference. We hope that you enjoy your participation in the project and the compilation of your Research Diary.

Aims of the Research Diary
Research is undertaken through the collaboration of a great number of individuals who agree to provide researchers with information on specific topics. However, whether through interviews, questionnaires, or focus groups, or even through the researcher[base ']s direct observation of social environments, much of the data collected during research is based on setting up particular events when participants can contribute to it by answering questions or voicing their opinions and ideas. Although these methods provide invaluable information, they also fail in part to capture the richness of everyday life, in which people are often confronted with important issues in a much more continuous way, and when opinions and perceptions are in a constant state of change. In order to understand why people think the way they do, we believe that it is important to look at the ever-changing nature of daily life with its continuous flow of events, thoughts and interaction. One research method that does provide a window into these fundamental aspects of life is the diary. By using this method we hope to shed some light upon the daily events, conversation and thoughts that shape people[base ']s opinions, perceptions, and concerns. In doing so we believe that the end users of research, including you and other diary authors and local stakeholders, can find better ways to be responsive to those perceptions and concerns.

Guidelines for preparing your Research iary
We have provided you with a dictating machine, batteries and a number of cassettes. All we ask is that, between now and 15 January 2003, you record all those occasions in which you come in touch with asylum, refugee and immigration issues. What do we mean by [OE]occasions[base ']? We mean any sort of events that occur at home or at work, or in any public, commercial, leisure, or community place, such as the following:

- News reports seen on TV, heard on the radio or read in the press.
- Conversation with relatives, friends, or even strangers where the subjects in question were raised; please include conversation that you witnessed but did not participate in.
- Interaction with someone you believe to be an asylum seeker, refugee or immigrant.
- Thoughts you may have as prompted by any of the previous events or just from memory; please do not include thoughts that are prompted simply by the memory of your Research Diary!
- Any other visual prompt such as a poster or graffiti.
- If the situation permits, you could record some of the conversations if you happen to have your Dictaphone at hand.

If any one of these, or similar, events occur, please record a description of the event as well as your impressions and opinions about it. You may also record any related thoughts. You do not need to take the dictation machine everywhere with you. If you prefer, you may make a brief note of the event and then make a record later at home or work. In order to avoid missing important events, we strongly recommend that you make at least two recordings every week, even if it is just to say that nothing happened. It may be helpful to set up a recording routine, for instance, make a statement every Wednesday and Sunday evenings. We do not expect you to record more than 15-20 minutes of impressions a week, unless a series of important events take place. When recording, please make sure that you speak clearly and slowly. It will be useful if you try the machine a few times before you start to record the Diary proper, so you can get use to it and find the best settings. You are welcome to attach to your Diary any materials that will make it easier for us to understand it, such as photographs, newspapers cuttings, or leaflets.

How is your Research Diary going to be used?

At the end of this recording period, you will be asked to kindly give the tapes to Caroline Blunt of the Research Team. The latter are the only people who will ever have access to the information that you give. The analysis of the material collected through the diaries will be simple. The tapes will be wholly or partially transcribed and the Research Team will look at issues and events that shape perceptions and opinions. When reporting back to the local stakeholders and to the funders, no names or specific circumstances will be mentioned. The final report may contain direct quotations from the diaries, but anonymity will be respected, and you will be consulted about quoting from your Diary beforehand. The Diaries will remain property of Goldsmiths College but no further use of the Diaries will be made without prior consultations with the authors. Please refer to our Ethical Guidelines.

Important Notes
A. All material from the Diary will remain anonymous. You may identify names in your recording. However, in the analysis of the data, we will make sure that all reference to the diary respect the anonymity of the authors and those mentioned therein. You do not have to provide real names of individuals or organisations, if you prefer.

B. You may cease your participation in the Research Diary at any time; please inform Caroline Blunt if you wish to do so.

C. We are going to contact you every 4-6 weeks to enquire about the Diary. Caroline Blunt will arrange with you the best way of monitoring your participation.

D. Please contact Caroline Blunt if you need any extra materials, such as batteries or tapes. Or, alternatively, you may acquire those on your own and then apply for a refund through our Expenses Fund (if you wish to complement your diary with original photographs, do contact us to arrange funding for all necessary expenses). I think this is a great idea. As most people have cameras, we could possibly strongly urge participants to take photographs of events they may attend or things they see. Graffiti for instance, may trigger a though process [sigma]

E. The Diary should end on 15 January or before if agreed with us. After that date you will be asked to provide us with the tapes. You may then keep the rest of the material provided, including the equipment.

F. When all Diaries are completed, you will be invited to an informal lunch with all the other authors. Your participation in this event is, of course, optional.

Contact
If you have any enquiry about the Diary, your participation, or any related topic, do not hesitate to contact Caroline Blunt or other members of the Research Team. We truly appreciate your participation and we hope that you enjoy it as well.

Caroline's contact details are as follows:

Caroline Blunt, Centre for Urban and Community Research
Goldsmiths College
New Cross
London
SE14 6NW
Tel: 07789 306291
Fax: 0207 9197383
email: bluntcaroline@hotmail.com

You may also contact Saulo Cwerner on
07949 538393.

Thank you very much for your participation.
Best wishes from

The Research Team at Goldsmiths College, September 2002

This Page was last updated: Friday, November 29, 2002 at 8:33:41 PM
This page was originally posted: 5/11/02; 2:30:06 pm.
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