This paper reports on a study that aimed to understand what self-tracking practices LGBTQ+ students engage in and why; and to reveal how these information literacy practices connect with their LGBTQ+ identities. LGBTQ+ refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community, with the plus standing in for a wide range of other identities such as pansexual, asexual and aromantic, and intersex. People with LGBTQ+ identities can have specific challenges with mental and physical wellbeing, combined with a fear of discrimination when accessing formal healthcare (Bachmann and Gooch, 2018). An information literacy practice is understood to be a contextual, socially constructed and embodied way of knowing in an information landscape (Lloyd 2017).
The discourse on self-tracking identifies that it can engender a sense of empowerment and control through the collection of data that builds knowledge about oneself (Lupton 2016). This can lead to a sense of positive change and improvement and the achievement of health goals (Lunde et al. 2018). Previous research identified four dimensions to information literacy in self-tracking: understanding the value of quality in data inputs, the ability to interpret tracked information in the context of the limitations of the app or device; awareness of privacy and data ownership and the nuances of sharing tracked data (Cox et al. 2017; McKinney et al. 2019). Participatory surveillance from health apps, particularly around gendered issues such as menstruation is a concern (Healy 2021). There is little research on the distinctive nature of self-tracking in the LGBTQ+ community and the nature of information literacy in this landscape, and this small exploratory study makes an important contribution to the research in this field.
This study adopted an interpretivist, qualitative methodology: six semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed by a student researcher as part of a paid research internship. The research team then carried out coding and thematic analysis.
Key findings are that participants track to manage and monitor their health; experiencing tracking as a way to support mental health was emphasised. While they felt distrust about the way apps used their data, they simply accepted the risk. This was typically because the convenience of the app outweighed their concerns about privacy. Data sharing was nuanced: often restricted because of self-consciousness or fear of being judged, but embraced when there was a feeling of working towards a shared goal. There was some connection between app use and LGBTQ+ identity. The presentation concludes with some observations about the empowering nature of information literacy in this landscape in relation to data quality, interpretation, sharing and privacy, and LGBTQ+ identities.
References
- Bachmann, C. L., & Gooch, B. (2018). LGBT in Britain: Health report. Stonewall. Retrieved from https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/lgbt_in_britain_health.pdf
- Cox, A. M., Mckinney, P. A., & Goodale, P. (2017). Food logging: An information literacy perspective. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 69(2). https://doi.org/10.1108/09574090910954864
- Healy, R. L. (2021). Zuckerberg, get out of my uterus! An examination of fertility apps, data-sharing and remaking the female body as a digitalized reproductive subject. Journal of Gender Studies, 30(4), 406–416.
- Lloyd, A. (2017). Information literacy and literacies of information: A mid-range theory and model. Journal of Information Literacy, 11(1).
- Lunde, P., Nilsson, B. Bergland, A., Kvaerner, K., & Bye, A. (2018). The effectiveness of smartphone apps for lifestyle improvement in noncommunicable diseases: Systematic review and meta-analyses. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(5), 1–12.
- Lupton, D. (2016). The quantified self. Cambridge: Polity Press.
- McKinney, P., Cox, A. M., & Sbaffi, L. (2019). Information literacy in food and activity tracking among parkrunners, people with type 2 diabetes, and people with irritable bowel syndrome: Exploratory study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(8).
Pamela Ann McKinney1, Corin Peacock2, Andrew Cox1
1University of Sheffield, UK; 2Arts University Bournemouth, UK
English 
French