Ethnography kaleidescope in library and information science

Ethnography has become a popular research design in LIS, with many creative implementations as well as concomitant problems. The seven panelists have expert perspectives to share about ethnography’s evolution and impact within our field. The panel begins with a succinct overall history of the method in LIS and a critical analysis of Chatman’s methodological innovations. Then, six inventive extensions are reported: sensory ethnography; visual ethnography; ethnography within an arts-informed paradigm; ethnography within a contemplative paradigm;  critically-oriented participatory narratology and autoethnography intersections; and ethnography applied within information institutions. The presentations will systematically display ethnography’s wide-ranging colors and flavors, followed by in-depth discussion of its merits, complications, and future trajectories in LIS.