Researcher as performer: Studying the information practices of a community through the method of performance ethnography

Abstract

The method of performance ethnography includes participation in the community being studied, performance as a way of communicating with the community, and performance as a way of sharing findings beyond the community of study. “Performance” can be taken here in the more theatrical, staged sense, or in the sense of engaging with the social dramas of a community. The performance ethnographer understands that they are not a neutral observer and owns and contextualizes their subjectivity. Although used across multiple disciplines, performance ethnography is not a common method in Library and Information Science. This article argues for the value of using this embodied method to study embodied information practices, specifically describing research on the American reality (true, personal, edgy) storytelling movement. Using performance ethnography allows the researcher to enter into a meaningful dialog with the community of study and bring others into that dialog as they share their research. Embodied information research can challenge the conceptualization of information as a disembodied object, while facilitating critical conversations about information needs and access.