Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Sep;16(5):10.1177/1744987110387319.
doi: 10.1177/1744987110387319.

Data collectors' field journals as tools for research

Marie-Luise Friedemann  1 , Carlos Mayorga, Luz Dary Jimenez
Affiliations

Data collectors' field journals as tools for research

Marie-Luise Friedemann et al. J Res Nurs. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

With rising numbers of families giving care to elderly loved ones, novel methods and sources of data need to be used to obtain comprehensive information about family caregiving patterns. The purpose of this paper is to present the interviewers' reflective journals as a source of rich data. Data collectors interviewed Hispanic family caregivers as part of a quantitative study of caregiving patterns. The stories derived from the personal journals brought to life three themes: caregiving as responsibility; creativity in giving care; and resistance to delegating tasks. Well-written journals have the potential of enhancing the interpretation of data collected by other means and of raising the quality of interviews and data through introspection and cultural understanding of the caregiving reality.

Keywords: Diaries; family caregivers; field notes; journals; nursing; research methodology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Ayalon L, Huyck MH. Latino caregivers of relatives with Alzheimer’s disease. Clinical Gerontologist. 2001;24(3–4):93–106.
    1. Beale B, Cole R, Hillege S, McMaster R, Nagy S. Impact of in-depth interviews on the interviewer: Roller coaster ride. Nursing and Health Sciences. 2004;6(2):141–147. - PubMed
    1. Bonnell C. Evidence-based nursing: A stereotyped view of quantitative and experimental research could work against professional autonomy and authority. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 1999;30(1):18–23. - PubMed
    1. Borrayo EA, Goldwaser G, Vacha-Haase T, Hepburn KW. An inquiry into Latino caregivers’ experience caring for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Journal of Applied Gerontology. 2007;26(5):486–505.
    1. Bradbury-Jones C. Enhancing rigour in qualitative health research: Exploring subjectivity through Peshkin’s I’s. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2007;59(3):290–298. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources