Doing Modernity: Studies in Critical Interactionism

Ethnomethodology Foundational insights on the nature and meaning of documents in everyday life Ciaran B. Trace The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA Journal of Documentation 72(1), 2016, pp. 47–64   |   DOI: 10.1108/JD-01-2015-0014 Abstract Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to argue that researchers in the information disciplines should embrace ethnomethodology as a way of forming deeper insights into the relationship between people and recorded knowledge. Design/methodology/approach– The paper introduces the core concepts of ethnomethodology as a means of articulating what this perspective brings to the understanding of the way that society is accomplished. A selection of key studies are then examined to highlight important ethnomethodological findings about the particular relationship of documents to human actions and interactions. Findings– Ethnomethodology highlights the fact that people transform their experiences, and the experiences of others, into d...