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Updated: May 6, 2026

Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
Data collectors' field journals as tools for research
Marie-Luise Friedemann1, Carlos Mayorga, Luz Dary Jimenez
1Professor Emerita, Florida International University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Miami, Florida, USA.
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.
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