Time Use Diary Design for our Times: General Principles for Online Design

Oriel Sullivan, Jonathan Gershuny and Juana Lamote de Grignon Perez

Discussion Papers from Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence

Abstract: This paper outlines the guiding principles behind decades of time use diary design and introduces a digital, multi-field diary developed at the Centre for Time Use Research (CTUR). Unlike many online tools that simplify data collection at the cost of detail, this design replicates the comprehensive structure of the Harmonised European Time Use Survey (HETUS) while maintaining a user-friendly, visually intuitive interface. The diary supports both self-completion and interviewer-assisted modes (CATI/CAPI), ensuring continuity with historical data and adaptability for diverse research needs. We demonstrate the design’s utility in estimating key policy-relevant metrics, including child-related time, ICT use, and behavioural risk for infectious disease transmission, highlighting its value for both research and policy in high- and low-income settings.

Keywords: Time use diaries; Principles of diary design; Online diary design; Extended light diary; Comparison of diary designs; Diary collection in LMICs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C81 C83 D13 E01 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-07-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mac
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