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Object and Walking Probes in Ethnographic Interviewing

Pennsylvania State University

Jeffrey H. Cohen

Pennsylvania State University

Probes and prompts are integral to successful interviews. Probes help motivate informants, facilitate the flow of an interview, and elicit information, but not necessarily in the form of a question. In this article, the authors describe a method they call the "material probe." Material probes are nonverbal and include objects and places that prompt and motivate informants. The goal is not to learn about the object or place but instead to learn about the informant through the object or place. In essence, the "material probe" triggers a response or memory and can be used in specific and or general ways.

Key Words: probes • interviewing • material culture

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