Take a Walk With Me: Utilizing the Go-Along Interview Method in Higher Education Research

• In Event: 26.080 - Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: 26.080-9 - Innovative Techniques and Methods for Qualitative Research

Abstract

This paper advocates for the go-along interview method in higher education research. Go-along interviews, which are interviews conducted while walking throughout a specific space, such as a campus, facilitate more nuanced answers from participants because the environment acts as a prompt throughout the interview (Evans & Jones, 2011; Jones et al., 2008). A case study of the go-along interview is presented alongside limitations and implications for this innovative method of data collection in education. Aligning with the theme for the 2015 AERA Annual Meeting, this paper, and the go-along interview method, advocates for research that empowers marginalized communities (Carpiano, 2009) and alleviates power dynamics that may exist within research (Kusenbach, 2003).

Author

• Jessica C. Harris, The University of Kansas