Interviews that attend to emplacement: the “walk-through” method

Abstract

Within library and information studies (LIS), there is growing awareness of the role of
the body and its surroundings in people’s information and knowledge experiences.
Predominant data collection methods, such as the sit-down interview, should be
reexamined in light of this awareness. This paper examines interview methods
theoretically and empirically. First, this paper introduces the concept of emplacement, the
interrelationship of body, mind, and place, as a useful lens for challenging conventional
interviewing practices. Second, this paper delineates the “walk-through” interview, which
in a study of undergraduates’ information behaviours prompted richer detail from
participants than did “sit-down” interviews.

**Awarded Best Overall Conference Paper **