What Are Journal or Diary Studies in Market Research? Types, Use Cases, and Benefits

A journal or diary study is a longitudinal qualitative research method in which participants record their experiences in real time over days, weeks or months. Because entries are made as things happen, diary studies avoid recall bias and show how behaviour, satisfaction and emotion change over time. There are three journal modes on Terapage: open journals for exploration, guided journals for structured tasks, and flexible journals that combine both. Entries can include text, photos, videos and voice notes, giving researchers real context about where, when and how products are used. AI-powered analysis on Terapage surfaces emerging themes, codes and sentiment across all journal entries.