Glossary » day-in-the-life studies
day-in-the-life studies
an approach to observational studies where one person is followed by the observer throughout a typical day and everything they do is recorded in order to get a detailed understanding of their work processes and work environment. By following a person through a whole day instead of skipping boring or inconvenient parts, a researcher gets a more thorough understanding of relationships and a better opportunity to capture fleeting moments than by observing during only selected or focused work times.
A day-in-the-life study offers an excellent source of data for a report in the form of a “scenario”, a description of a typical person in the target population and what their goals and schedules are like.
