iRun: a situational, neo-assemblage perspective of information and records in running.

Running is a popular leisure activity, and there is great interest and use of data and
information amongst its participants. Researching information about running has
attracted scholarly attention in human-computer interaction (HCI) and digital
sociology through self-tracking studies. There has also been limited attention in
research on information behaviour upon embodied representations in short-term
information use. Archival science has not considered long term running data practices
despite some runners keeping information about their leisure pursuits for a long time.
Both information behaviour and archival science have attempted to understand
personal information and record creation contexts outside of running.
This study provides a new lens to understand the interconnected complexity between
people who run, technology and information environments. It uses the concept of the
neo-assemblage to achieve this understanding. The research also gives a renewed
understanding of the types of information runners collect and use, whether they value
their running information, and to what extent runners are concerned about its long-
term existence and third party involvement with their data.
An innovative mobile method using a 360-degree action camera collected data whilst
the researcher ran with four participants asking them questions. The four participants
then participated in virtual interviews to understand how they used information
created during their running. A virtual interview method collected data from four more
participants about their information use in their running activities. The researcher
applied situational analysis and a complementary neo-assemblage theory analysis to
the collected data.
Runners use both embodied information and information derived from devices when
running. Both types of information are valuable to a runner’s short-term running goals.
Most participants gave little thought to their represented information in the distant
future. There is evidence that such information can have emotional meaning for some
participants because it is central to their running identity. There was very little concern
about how third parties held their personal information, such as running watch
companies. Underscoring this is using the neo-assemblage theory lens to understand
the interrelated complexity of the human, information and technology in these findings.
The originality of this work is drawing together the study of information behaviour and archival science in a poststructural perspective using situational analysis and neo-
assemblage theory. The result contributes a new perspective on the complex relationships between embodied and recorded forms of information, including records, people, and technology. This thesis makes an empirical contribution by documenting the creation and use of information during and after physical activity. This thesis contributes to data collection methods by considering the ethical implications and practicalities of recording data with a 360-degree camera. This data capture method led to a further contribution in using a virtual reality viewer as an immersive technology for data analysis.