Exploring lived experience through ambient research methods

The daily realities of lived experience are increasingly mediated by interactions with ambient data-the granular, almost atmospheric mists of media that surround us and enrich our lives. Ambient data is often experienced and generated through literate action-through non-obvious writing work in social software applications, and through composing and sharing images and videos via mobile devices. Contemporary ethnography may attempt to explore lived experience by tracing and accounting for the literate practices of participants across private, semi-public, and public networks. This chapter details methods for researching the ambient data of lived experience within the broader context of ethnographic methodology, offering case histories detailing ambient research methods in both industry and academe.