New activity diary format : design and limited empirical evidence

The results of a project conducted to compare and evaluate a new activity diary design with two more-traditional diary formats are discussed. The project was conducted as part of a research program involving several research groups in the Netherlands. The design of a stage-based diary, a day-planner format, and a new format representing a combination of the stage-based and day-planner formats is reported. Some small-scale qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out on the basis of a pilot survey. The three formats were evaluated on their trip-reporting rates, rounding of time, missing activities, and overlapping begin and end times. Respondents were asked about their experiences with reporting trips and activities and their overall impressions of the formats. The advantages and disadvantages of each alternative format are discussed, and some conclusions about design criteria are drawn.