Using diaries to understand women's responses to crime and violence

This paper describes the use of solicited diaries in research on crime and violence in a South African community, drawing on material collected from 15 diary writers. The paper explains the broader aims of the research, describes the circumstances of the diary writers, and relates some of the stories told by these women in their diaries. The importance of triangulation is discussed and, in this particular case, illustrated through a combination of diaries and focus group interviews. The paper concludes by discussing the benefits and drawbacks associated with the use of solicited diaries.