Situated storywalks: a participant-led elicitation method
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47989/ir31ISIC65153Keywords:
storywalk, storytelling, participant-led, qualitative methods, accessibilityAbstract
Introduction. Information behaviour research has traditionally relied on researcher-led methods such as interviews, surveys, or experiments. While these approaches provide control and comparability, they often limit the potential to observe unexpected or situated information behaviour.
Method. This paper introduces situated storywalks, a participant-led method developed by the authors, integrating elements of guided tours, observations, participatory research, and touchstone tours. In situated storywalks, storytellers guide researchers through physical or virtual spaces while narrating their experiences, expectations and interactions.
Analysis. The approach was developed and applied in a case study at a large German library, where storytellers with diverse accessibility needs were invited to share their experiences through storywalks. The collected data, including audio recordings, field notes, and photographs, were analyzed qualitatively, identifying emergent patterns in spatial and affective engagement.
Results. Findings demonstrate that situated storywalks help uncover dimensions and nuances of information behaviour that may remain hidden in more traditional, researcher-controlled methods.
Conclusion. Situated storywalks expand the methodological repertoire of information behaviour research, enabling richer, context-sensitive, and co-constructed understandings of how people interact with information in everyday-life environments.
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