Voice-mail diary studies for naturalistic data capture under mobile conditions

Abstract

Mobile technology requires new methods for studying its use under realistic conditions "in the field." Reflexively, mobile technology also creates new opportunities for data collection while participants are remotely located. We report on our experiences with a variation on the paper-based diary study technique, which we extend by using voice-mail paired with mobile and landline telephony to more easily collect data in natural situations. We discuss lessons learned from experiences with voice-mail diary studies in two investigations of different scope. We also present suggestions for tailoring the technique to different research objectives, garnering high subject participation, and configuring the voice-mail system for data collection.