Walking Probe

“Both built and natural environments can be imbued with as much meaning as any portable object.”

Jason De Leon and Jeffrey Cohen. 2005. Object and Walking Probes in Ethnographic Interviewing. Field Methods 17. 200-204.

Definition

A walking probe is an interview technique. The interview is directed by a participant who gives a tour of the environment the researcher wants to learn about.

Context

Ethnography

Procedure

1. Before doing the walking probe, it’s important to identify a member of the community who’s familiar with the locality. It would be a waste of time if the places visited had little significance to the participant.

2. Next, I would plan out the time and places I want to visit. Ideally, the timing would be convenient for everyone involved and the area’s explored should fit the goals of the research. It might help to prepare a few questions or talking points beforehand.

3. During the walking probe, make sure to document the journey taken through notes, photos, and recordings. Listen to the participant carefully and ask questions about the buildings or surroundings.

4. Finally, be respectful to the participant. Allow the participant to guide the tour, and be mindful of the time and energy taken.

Use Case

My partner and I conducted a 1-hour walking probe for a waste management project. We asked a student from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) because she had experience handling food waste and an education in sustainable practices. We audio recorded the information and analyzed it later.

The photo shows the area on campus our participant walked us through. This prompted discussion about the measures Indiana University takes to keep the campus clean. As we went along, the conversation switched toward other themes such as waste segregation, Sustain IU, e-waste, food-waste, and composting.

Data Analysis

To make sense of the data, my partner and I discussed our thoughts after the interview. We admitted some points didn’t have much relevance to our design goals, but we realized it was more important that we didn’t manipulate the direction of the walking probe. We kept everything open-ended which gave us an authentic perspective from the student’s point of view. This understanding influenced many insights we organized during an affinity diagramming session.