TIME
USE
SURVEY
Instructions and examples
for filling in the diary
Thank you for participating in this important
survey!
It is quite easy filling in this diary. It will be even easier if you first read these instructions
and look at the examples presented in the following pages.
Take this diary with you during the day and fill it in whenever you have time,
ideally at the end of an activity or a group of activities.
Do not forget to indicate the name of the person who has filled in the diary.
De nombreux problèmes peuvent être éclairés par les résultats de
cette enquête, par exemple:
exAmple
Working time arrangements
Work-life balance, importance of voluntary work
Accessibility to services (opening hours for stores, childcare
centres, etc.)
Mobility (traffic problems)
FILLED IN BY
Marie
What were you doing? – What else were you doing?
In the column “What were you doing?”, please record your activities for every 10-minute
slot. The diary starts at 04:00 am and covers 24 hours; three hours a page.
Do not record more than one activity on each line. Describe your activity as much
detailed as possible (as in the examples).
exAmples
Heure
07.00
What were you doing?
being with a friend
07.10
being outside
07.20
being at home
07.30
housekeeping
watching a movie in a cinema
playing football
watching TV
washing the kitchen floor
07.40
hobby
07.50
leisure
playing cards
08.00
internet
reading e-mails
08.10
computer
playing a video game on the computer
08.20
fitness
08.30
sport
08.40
08.50
09.00
09.10
09.20
09.30
09.40
doing crosswords
doing an activity
do-it-yourself
aerobic workout
playing tennis
running for charity
fixing a lamp
If you did several activities at the same time during a 10 minute period, please record
the one you regard as your main activity in the column “What were you doing?”. You may
record a parallel activity in the column “What else were you doing?”.
You can use an arrow or quote marks to indicate that an activity goes on more than 10
minutes.
If you did one activity after another within a 10-minute period, record the activity
that took most of the time in the column “What were you doing?”
It is up to you to decide which activity is the main one.
exAmples
Heure
What were you doing?
What else were you doing?
having breakfast
reading a newspaper
07.40
clear the dishes
listening to the radio
07.50
helping the children get dressed
talking to the children
07.00
07.10
07.20
07.30
"
"
"
08.00
08.10
08.20
08.30
08.40
08.50
NB : Parallel09.00
activities may take longer or shorter than the main activities. Whenever the
main activity or the parallel activity changes, you must start a new line on the diary.
09.10
If you were 09.20
doing something you feel too private to record, please write “Personal”.
09.30
09.40
09.50
Where were you?
exAmple
Heure
What were you doing?
Where were you?
16.00
talking to the child-carer
day-care centre
16.10
going home
by foot
16.20
16.30
16.40
16.50
17.00
17.10
17.20
17.30
17.40
17.50
In this column,
18.00write either:
18.10 where the activity took place (at home, at neighbours’ home, at
the location
school, in
a park, at the workplace, in a shop…),
18.20
18.30 of transport if the activity is a travel (by foot, car, bicycle, bus,
or the mode
train…).
18.40
18.50
Travel
A travel is when you change location. When you change the means of transport, the new
mode of transport is a new activity, thus a new line in the diary. Please note the means
of transport you used in the column “Where were you?”. Distinguish between
travel and the activity that is the reason for travelling.
exemples
Where were
you?
Heure
What were you doing?
08.00
walking to the bus stop
by foot
08.10
going to the shop
by bus
08.20
buy food
shop
08.30
coming back home
by bus
08.40
walking back home
by foot
What else were you doing?
reading commercials
reading e-mails on my smartphone
08.50
09.00
go buy the newspaper
by foot
coming back home
09.10
08.20
08.30
08.40
08.50
09.00
09.10
09.20
If the
travel is too short to be noted as a 10-minute activity, do not forget to indicate
the09.30
parallel activity in the column “What else were you doing?”. If you both went out
and returned within a 10-minute period, in other words made two trips, please note
this09.40
down.
09.50
How much did you enjoy the activity?
Tick the smiley which shows best how much you enjoyed the activity, that is, tick
if
you considered the activity as pleasant,
if you considered it neither pleasant nor
unpleasant and
if the activity was unpleasant.
exAmple
Heure
What were you doing?
Where were
you?
07.00
clear the dishes
home
07.10
walking the dog
on the street
07.20
07.30
07.40
07.50
08.00
08.10
08.20
08.30
08.40
08.50
09.00
"
"
How much
did you
enjoy the
activity?
Were you alone or together with somebody you
know?
Make a cross
in the relevant boxes (for example: if you were alone, tick just the box in
the first column).
You may make more than one cross per line.
Being with someone does not necessarily mean that the person is actually involved
in the activity, but rather that the person is close and at your fingertips.
exAmple
having breakfast
07.00
"
07.10
clear the dishes
07.20
lunch
07.30
07.40
07.50
08.00
08.10
08.20
08.30
08.40
08.50
09.00
shopping
(with 15 year old son)
(with daughter who does not live in the household)
lunch
(with colleagues at a canteen)
other people you know
other household
members
children aged less
than 10 years
your father/your
mother
your partner/
spouse
i.e. persons currently living in the same dwelling
family members living
outside the household
with household members
What were you doing?
Alone
Heure
Were you alone or together with
somebody you know?
Continuation: What were you doing?
You’re having breakfast together with your partner and your five year old daughter –
tick the second and the fourth column.
After breakfast, both leave the room and you clear the dishes – tick the first column.
You’re having lunch with your 15 year old son – tick the fifth column.
You’re doing shopping with your daughter, who is not living in your household – tick
the sixth column.
You’re having lunch with colleagues at a canteen – tick the seventh column.
Distinguish between household members, i.e. persons who are currently living in the
same dwelling and other family members.
After completing the diary for one day, please
answer the questions on the back page.
The checklist will help you check whether nothing has been
missed.
Examples for filling in the agenda
Personal care
sleeping
sick in bed
having a nap
taking drugs
having breakfast
eating an apple
drinking a coffee
having lunch
taking a shower
put on make-up
getting (un)dressed
shaving
Main job, second job, job search
You do not have to describe what you do at work. However, if any, please make
distinction between main and second job.
Describe your activities during breaks (e.g. smoking, drinking coffee, telephoning…)
main job
participating in a union meeting
having an appointment at ADEM
second job
having an interview for a job
provide tutoring
having a coffee break
writing a CV
babysitting
If you take work back home (e.g. on the evening), note in the diary how much time you
dedicate to this.
Study and non-vocational training
Distinguish whether you study at home or you attend courses.
attending lessons
recreation break
having a music lesson
preparing courses
doing research for school
having a cooking lesson
doing homework
having a driving lesson
having a pottery course
If studies are part of your main job, note it in the diary.
Domestic work and family care
Describe what you’ve really done.
kitchen work
prepare diner
make marmalade
clear the dishes
bake a cake
set up the table
wash the dishes
housekeeping
vacuum cleaner
removing dust
sweeping the front porch
cleaning the windows
tidying-up the drawers
wood cutting
making and care
for textiles
sorting/folding clothes
tidying up clothes
hang out the laundry
ironing
sew a button
polishing shoes
gardening
pick apples
mow the lawn
work in the vegetable garden
water interior plants
animals
walk the dog
feeding the hens
taking the cat to the
veterinary
clean the aquarium
repairing / maintaining
paint the ceilings
wash the car
decorate the Christmas tree
papering walls
put winter tyres
fix a lamp
purchases / services
buy a coat
visit to the dentist
withdraw money
writing the shopping list
buy stamps
getting a haircut
going to the solarium
take petrol
Voluntary work, work for associations and meetings
Distinguish whether you’ve been involved in meetings as an organizer or only as a
participant.
voluntary work
work for associations
organize a charity event
chair a scout meeting
donate blood
sell food at a sport event
attend a scout meeting
collect money for a charity
organisation
Informal help to other households
If the main activity implies informal help to people who are not in your household, note
it down in the diary.
helping
help friends to repair their house
doing some baby-sitting for a friend
buy food for the neighbours
walk the neighbours’ dog
Sports and outdoor activities
Describe accurately what you’ve done. If you’re a coach, note it down.
Distinguish between sport activities as a practitioner and as a spectator (sport events).
sport
jogging
playing tennis
aerobic workout
coaching the football team
attending a basketball
match
playing cards
doing a puzzle
playing with the dog
doing crosswords
doing pottery
taking care of my stamp
collection
reading emails
looking for information on
the internet
purchasing online
installing a software
reading the news on the
internet
contacting a friend via
Skype
Leisure and games
playing
hobby
Computer and Internet
computer
internet
Reading
reading
reading a newspaper
reading a cartoon
reading a novel