Coming to our senses: considerations for studying sensory information

Abstract

Everyone uses information gathered through the senses to understand and navigate daily
life. Despite this ubiquity, some types of sensory information have received little
attention within library and information studies (LIS). This CAIS paper analyzes one
sense as an example, the sense of smell, in order to identify cultural, linguistic, and
methodological considerations for bringing it into greater focus within our discipline.
This paper illustrates the complexities of studying sensory information, and argues that
doing so will contribute to richer examinations of people’s information practices.