Participants keep a diary, or journal, or other recording mechanism to keep track of their interactions with a system. Participants are asked to record:

• Significant events
• Problems that occur during the use of the system
• Other aspects of their usage of related tools

In each entry, participants may be asked to document the date and time of entry, where they are and the ratings about how they feel. Methods of journaling can be accomplished by:

• Pen and paper
• E-mail
• Online entry form / survey
• Audio recorder
• Mobile device (call, e-mail, photos, etc.)
• Leave messages on a voicemail system
• Cameras

In a Camera Study users take photos to highlight important aspects of their lives and context. The photos are assembled into collages and studied to highlight opportunities for new features and improvements.

The main benefit of a diary or camera study is to get information about the user's experience over time. The feedback is also often provided while the user is interacting with a system, so there is less of a lag in the feedback than with other methods and it is in the actual context of use.