There is a fairly large body of applied social research in the health field which have used structured diaries, in which informants are invited to ‘log’ items from a list of health action they have undertaken, rather than open diaries. In particular, health diaries have been argued to present the optimum way of investigating helpseeking for episodes of illness for reasons which resonate with the discussion of the autobiographical literature above - namely the ability to capture events close to when they unfold and the potential to trace events over continuous time. The literature on both qualitative and quantitative methods has highlighted the value of diaries in recording routine or everyday processes. Therefore there is a need for prospective data to track events as closely as possible to when they occur.

Health Diary App helps you in maintaining your diary at your fingertips.