¶ … Skills: Journaling The value of journaling in the qualitative research process

When I first began this assignment, my immediate reaction was: why do I need to write down my thoughts and feelings in a journal when I have Facebook and Twitter? Don't I already have social media venues in which to vent a steady stream-of-consciousness? However, over the course of the journaling process, the value of the exercise became very clear: journaling is a unique form of self-expression. Unlike other types of writing, the main purpose of journaling is to better understand one's self, rather than to engage in direct communication with others. In other modes of writing, whether a research paper or an online blog, the writer is always aware that he or she is writing with an audience in mind. Because every audience is unique, the writer must engage in self-censorship, tailoring the content to meet that audience. With journal writing, the author writes for his or her own needs, whether it is to record information about the day's events or to simply reflect upon life.

The value of journaling for a qualitative researcher also became clear to me through this experiential process of journal writing. On a very basic and practical level, journaling enables the researcher to keep track of day-to-day events as they happen in the moment. Retrospective analysis may be colored by faulty memory or the researcher's desire...

Taking notes as events unfold are an important way to ensure accuracy in reporting. This is particularly true of qualitative research because of its inherently subjective nature. Unlike data-driven quantitative research, there is no statistical analysis to screen for errors. The researcher must embark upon the observation or case study with intense self-consciousness of his or her own situation. The reflective components of journaling can also help the qualitative researcher be more aware of the process, possible prejudices, and unforeseen turns of events or complications that challenge the initial paradigm and set of assumptions he or she brought to the research.
For my first journaling exercises, I focused upon recreating short dialogues that I had at work, with family members, or in school. These exercises made me think about the 'character' I play in these different venues and how different my personality is, depending on with whom I am speaking. I am casual yet professional at work: I make jokes and laugh, yet I always keep a certain, guarded distance from my colleagues. My work self is very much my 'social self.' In contrast, I am much more relaxed when I am with friends and family and feel less inhibited. With friends in particular I am willing to open up and let down my guard. I feel as if I have 'nothing to prove.' This awareness helps me understand the different components of…