Incentive Structures for Diary Studies

Summary: A mindful incentive structure can keep diary study participants engaged and responding, without overloading you with low-quality responses.

Compared to other UX research studies, diary studies — especially longer ones — are particularly vulnerable to high participant attrition — when participants stop submitting entries or responding. One of the strongest levers against attrition is the incentive structure itself.

A poorly designed incentive structure can encourage participants to delay submissions, submit low-effort entries, or report only enough to qualify for payment. A thoughtful structure can encourage more consistent, higher-quality reporting over time.

How Incentives Are Different for Diary Studies

Unlike moderated sessions , where participants are typically compensated for their time , diary studies usually compensate participants for their effort . Participants shouldn’t be compensated if they provide too few or no entries, so incentives are often tied to the quantity — and sometimes the quality — of submissions.