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Mobile Ethnography and Diary Studies

Video and photo diaries recorded on participants' phones, so you see real behaviour in the moment, at home, in store and on the move.

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  • Feasibility and costs in 24 hours
  • One project manager from brief to data
  • ICC/ESOMAR and GDPR compliant
Best for
Understanding real routines, journeys and product use
Methods
Video and photo diaries, in-the-moment tasks and follow-up interviews
Length
From a few days to several weeks
You receive
Organised videos, photos and answers, ready to analyse

Overview

People rarely remember exactly what they do. Mobile ethnography lets them show you instead: participants record short videos, photos and answers on their phones as things happen, at home, in store or on the move.

Research and Metric recruits the right participants, sets up the tasks, keeps people engaged through the study and checks every upload, so you get rich, honest material to analyse.

Send us your briefSee how it works
A man filming his morning routine on a phone in a sunny bathroom mirror, natural and relaxed
Participants record moments as they happen.

What mobile ethnography is good for

Need something that is not listed here? Tell us in your brief and we will check feasibility.

  • Daily routinesCooking, cleaning, personal care and other everyday habits.
  • Shopping tripsHow people choose in store and online.
  • First useUnboxing and first experiences with a new product.
  • Long-term useHow products are used weeks after an in-home test begins.
  • Customer journeysWhat happens across channels, from search to support.

How we keep diaries on track

  • Clear, short tasks with examples
  • Daily checks of every upload
  • Friendly reminders and help by message
  • Incentives paid in stages to keep people engaged
  • Follow-up interviews to explore what we saw
A teenager photographing a snack with a phone at a colourful kitchen table
Photo tasks capture what people use and choose.

Step by step

How mobile ethnography works

  1. DesignWe agree tasks, length and the app or platform with you.
  2. RecruitmentWe recruit participants who are comfortable recording on their phones.
  3. OnboardingEach participant is set up and completes a practice task.
  4. FieldworkWe check uploads daily and keep everyone engaged.
  5. DeliveryYou receive organised videos, photos and answers.

Why agencies choose Research and Metric

  • One accountable team from brief to final data
  • Honest feasibility before you commit
  • Daily progress and quality reporting
  • ICC/ESOMAR-aligned processes and GDPR-compliant data handling

See this work in practice

Get a quote

Send us your brief

Tell us who you need to reach, where and how many. We reply with a plan.

  • Feasibility and costs in 24 hours
  • One project manager from brief to data
  • ICC/ESOMAR and GDPR compliant
Start your brief

Prefer to talk first?

Email uscontact@researchandmetric.comCall us+1 240-980-1551

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Cannot find your answer? Ask our team or email contact@researchandmetric.com.

What is mobile ethnography?

A research method where participants record videos, photos and answers on their phones as they go about their lives, so researchers can see real behaviour in context.

How long does a diary study last?

Usually from a few days to several weeks, depending on the behaviour you want to see.

Which app do participants use?

We can use your preferred platform or ours. We set participants up and help them throughout.

How do you keep participants engaged?

With short, clear tasks, daily checks, friendly reminders and incentives paid in stages.

Related services

Other ways we collect data

Combine methods in one study, with one project manager and one timeline.

Not sure which you need? Tell us about your study and we will suggest the right mix.

Fieldwork managementOne project manager running your recruitment, interviewing, quotas and quality control, across online, telephone, face-to-face and in-home methods.Learn moreOnline qualitative researchOnline in-depth interviews, focus groups and bulletin boards, recruited, hosted and supported end to end, in any language and time zone.Learn moreProduct placement and home testsIn-home use tests run end to end: category-user recruitment, blind-coded product delivery, diaries, recall surveys and compliance checks.Learn moreMulti-country coordinationMulti-country studies run to one timeline and one standard, with local-language fieldwork and a single project manager coordinating every market.Learn moreCentral location testsTaste, sensory and product tests at a central venue, with recruitment, venue set-up, product handling and CAPI interviewing.Learn moreFace-to-face CAPITablet-based face-to-face interviews in homes, streets, stores, venues and central locations, with GPS stamps, timing checks and back-checks.Learn more

Case studies

Recent projects

Anonymised client projects and examples of recruitment, fieldwork and tabulation work.

View all case studies
Client project, AutomotiveAutomotive Respondent Recruitment: HEV and BEV SUV OwnersClient project, AutomotiveQualitative Recruitment Services for Maxi Scooter ResearchClient project, Food and beverageIn-Home Use Test Recruitment for a US Coffee PortfolioClient project, Healthcare & PharmaExpert interviews with rare-disease gene therapy prescribersClient project, Healthcare & PharmaTelephone profiling survey of molecular diagnostic labsClient project, Technology & ITSenior HR decision-maker interviews in two markets

Next step

Planning your next study?

Send us your brief and get feasibility, timelines and costs within 24 hours.

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