Visual research and development docx
Qualitative Research
Methods
Kevin Meethan
Visual
research
• There is a long tradition of using
photography and film in
ethnographic research.
• There is a tradition of using
photography in documenting social
conditions.
• Even so, the use of photographs and
film (and later video) remained as
rather marginal research methods.
Visual
research
• Digitisation means taking
photographs and videos, storing
them and sharing them has never
been easier.
• The global spread of the mobile
phones with cameras has also
changed the way we record and
engage with the world.
• We can share our pictures through
networking sites and via email.
Visual
research
• The realist assumption: the camera does
not lie.
• Photographs and videos are often
assumed to be a way around the
problem of ‘observer bias’.
• Photographic images have always been
manipulated.
Visual
research
Take for example this picture of Lenin …
Visual
research
• A photograph both includes, as well
as excludes
• A photograph is always selective
• The optics of a camera do not mimic
human eyesight
• They convert three dimensions into a
two dimensional plane
Visual
research
• When we take a picture we are
making decisions that may involve
aesthetic concerns as much as
anything else.
• Images are produced and interpreted
through forms of tacit knowledge
• There are many different kinds of
photography
• Certain things may be ignored as
subjects
Visual
research
Assumption that photography
bypasses human agency and removes
subjectivity because it is a purely
mechanical process
• It is convention that enables us to see
photographs as a ‘true’ representation
of the world
• As well as rendering three dimensions
into two, they also ‘freeze’ the fourth
dimension of time
•
Visual
research
• Nonetheless photographs have the
capacity to document in a way that
writing cannot
• As such they isolate specific events
from the flux of our experiences
• And by doing so, allow us to
scrutinise a particular place, or
incident many times over.
Preparing Green
Tea
The following photographs were taken in
the Gambia. They are part of a sequence
that shows someone preparing green tea.
This is a widespread and semi-ritualised
custom, green tea is boiled up with sugar,
and drunk from small glasses, and is
shared between family and friends.
Preparing Green
Tea
These photos enabled us to see the process in some
detail without having to write down detailed descriptions
of the process
Visual
research
• Nonetheless photographs have the
capacity to document in a way that
writing cannot.
• As such they isolate specific events
from the flux of our experiences
• And by doing so, allow us to
scrutinise a particular place, or
incident many times over.
Visual
research
• Problem of decontextualisation
Baetens (2009) writes that photographs
are ‘…considered to be good at
‘showing’ but not very good at
‘telling’’ (p143)
Visual
research
• Gold (2007) uses photography as one
aspect of his research methods in the
study of immigrant communities.
• Pictures can be used as the basis for
interaction with his informants
• How they view the images can reveal
information that interviews might not
have
• This technique is known as ‘photo
elicitation’
User generated
images
User generated images: where the
research subjects are asked to take
pictures
Guillemin and Drew (2010) used what
they termed ‘photovoice’ to examine the
experiences of young people with
chronic medical conditions.
Such an approach requires the active
involvement of participants and as such
can be empowering.
Ethical
Issues
• Problems with anonymity and
confidentiality are not really any
greater with visual data than written
data
• Often confused with ideas of
ownership and permission
• Under UK law the person who takes
the photograph owns it
Ethical
Issues
• You do not need permission to take a
photo in a public place, to take a
photo of a building or to take a photo
of private property from a public
place
• You need permission if you are on
private property e.g. shops, shopping
malls
• Some public buildings such as
museums and art galleries do not
allow photography, but some do
Visual research:
summary
• Photos and videos are useful but
underused research tools within the
social sciences
• We need to be aware of the
conventions of both taking and
interpreting images such as the
problem of ‘showing’ and not ‘telling’
• Ethical issues are less understood but
no greater than those involved with
other forms of recording
Images
Photographs of Lenin courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
/e/e8/RedSqlenintrotsky.jpg
Accessed 11/8/11
Photographs from Gambia courtesy of Kevin
Meethan
References
Baetens, J. (2009) Is a Photograph Worth a Thousand
Films?. In Visual Studies 24, 2, 143 – 148
Gold, S. (2007) Using Photography in Studies of
Immigrant Communities. In Stanczak. G. (ed) Visual
Research Methods: Image, society and representation.
Sage: London.
Guillemin. M. and Drew, S. (2010) Questions of Process
in Participant Generated Visual Methodologies. In Visual
Studies 25, 2, 175 - 188
Heath, C., Hindmarsh, J. and Luff, P. (2010) Video in
Qualitative Research. Sage: London
L. Macpherson (2009) The UK Photographers Rights
Guide V2.
http://www.sirimo.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2009/05/ukphotographersrights-v2.pdf
Accessed 11/8/11
Rose, G. (2007 2nd edition) Visual Methodologies: An
This resource was created by the University of Plymouth, Learning from WOeRk project. This project
is funded by HEFCE as part of the HEA/JISC OER release programme.
This resource is licensed under the terms of the Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share
Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/).
The resource, where specified below, contains other 3rd party materials under
their own licenses. The licenses and attributions are outlined below:
1. The name of the University of Plymouth and its logos are unregistered trade marks of the University. The
University reserves all rights to these items beyond their inclusion in these CC resources.
2. The JISC logo, the and the logo of the Higher Education Academy are licensed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution -non-commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK England & Wales license. All
reproductions must comply with the terms of that license.
Author
Kevin Meethan
Institute
Plymouth University
Title
Visual Research
Description
Presentation – Qualitative Methods – Visual Research
Date Created
November 2010
Educational Level
Keywords
7, Masters
UKOER ,LFWOER ,UOPCPDRM, Learning from WOeRK ,WBL ,WorkBased, Learning, CPD ,Continuous Professional Development
,Research Skills, Qualitative Research Methods ,Visual Research
©University of Plymouth, 2010, some rights reserved
Back page originally developed by the OER phase 1 C-Change project
Methods
Kevin Meethan
Visual
research
• There is a long tradition of using
photography and film in
ethnographic research.
• There is a tradition of using
photography in documenting social
conditions.
• Even so, the use of photographs and
film (and later video) remained as
rather marginal research methods.
Visual
research
• Digitisation means taking
photographs and videos, storing
them and sharing them has never
been easier.
• The global spread of the mobile
phones with cameras has also
changed the way we record and
engage with the world.
• We can share our pictures through
networking sites and via email.
Visual
research
• The realist assumption: the camera does
not lie.
• Photographs and videos are often
assumed to be a way around the
problem of ‘observer bias’.
• Photographic images have always been
manipulated.
Visual
research
Take for example this picture of Lenin …
Visual
research
• A photograph both includes, as well
as excludes
• A photograph is always selective
• The optics of a camera do not mimic
human eyesight
• They convert three dimensions into a
two dimensional plane
Visual
research
• When we take a picture we are
making decisions that may involve
aesthetic concerns as much as
anything else.
• Images are produced and interpreted
through forms of tacit knowledge
• There are many different kinds of
photography
• Certain things may be ignored as
subjects
Visual
research
Assumption that photography
bypasses human agency and removes
subjectivity because it is a purely
mechanical process
• It is convention that enables us to see
photographs as a ‘true’ representation
of the world
• As well as rendering three dimensions
into two, they also ‘freeze’ the fourth
dimension of time
•
Visual
research
• Nonetheless photographs have the
capacity to document in a way that
writing cannot
• As such they isolate specific events
from the flux of our experiences
• And by doing so, allow us to
scrutinise a particular place, or
incident many times over.
Preparing Green
Tea
The following photographs were taken in
the Gambia. They are part of a sequence
that shows someone preparing green tea.
This is a widespread and semi-ritualised
custom, green tea is boiled up with sugar,
and drunk from small glasses, and is
shared between family and friends.
Preparing Green
Tea
These photos enabled us to see the process in some
detail without having to write down detailed descriptions
of the process
Visual
research
• Nonetheless photographs have the
capacity to document in a way that
writing cannot.
• As such they isolate specific events
from the flux of our experiences
• And by doing so, allow us to
scrutinise a particular place, or
incident many times over.
Visual
research
• Problem of decontextualisation
Baetens (2009) writes that photographs
are ‘…considered to be good at
‘showing’ but not very good at
‘telling’’ (p143)
Visual
research
• Gold (2007) uses photography as one
aspect of his research methods in the
study of immigrant communities.
• Pictures can be used as the basis for
interaction with his informants
• How they view the images can reveal
information that interviews might not
have
• This technique is known as ‘photo
elicitation’
User generated
images
User generated images: where the
research subjects are asked to take
pictures
Guillemin and Drew (2010) used what
they termed ‘photovoice’ to examine the
experiences of young people with
chronic medical conditions.
Such an approach requires the active
involvement of participants and as such
can be empowering.
Ethical
Issues
• Problems with anonymity and
confidentiality are not really any
greater with visual data than written
data
• Often confused with ideas of
ownership and permission
• Under UK law the person who takes
the photograph owns it
Ethical
Issues
• You do not need permission to take a
photo in a public place, to take a
photo of a building or to take a photo
of private property from a public
place
• You need permission if you are on
private property e.g. shops, shopping
malls
• Some public buildings such as
museums and art galleries do not
allow photography, but some do
Visual research:
summary
• Photos and videos are useful but
underused research tools within the
social sciences
• We need to be aware of the
conventions of both taking and
interpreting images such as the
problem of ‘showing’ and not ‘telling’
• Ethical issues are less understood but
no greater than those involved with
other forms of recording
Images
Photographs of Lenin courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
/e/e8/RedSqlenintrotsky.jpg
Accessed 11/8/11
Photographs from Gambia courtesy of Kevin
Meethan
References
Baetens, J. (2009) Is a Photograph Worth a Thousand
Films?. In Visual Studies 24, 2, 143 – 148
Gold, S. (2007) Using Photography in Studies of
Immigrant Communities. In Stanczak. G. (ed) Visual
Research Methods: Image, society and representation.
Sage: London.
Guillemin. M. and Drew, S. (2010) Questions of Process
in Participant Generated Visual Methodologies. In Visual
Studies 25, 2, 175 - 188
Heath, C., Hindmarsh, J. and Luff, P. (2010) Video in
Qualitative Research. Sage: London
L. Macpherson (2009) The UK Photographers Rights
Guide V2.
http://www.sirimo.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2009/05/ukphotographersrights-v2.pdf
Accessed 11/8/11
Rose, G. (2007 2nd edition) Visual Methodologies: An
This resource was created by the University of Plymouth, Learning from WOeRk project. This project
is funded by HEFCE as part of the HEA/JISC OER release programme.
This resource is licensed under the terms of the Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share
Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/).
The resource, where specified below, contains other 3rd party materials under
their own licenses. The licenses and attributions are outlined below:
1. The name of the University of Plymouth and its logos are unregistered trade marks of the University. The
University reserves all rights to these items beyond their inclusion in these CC resources.
2. The JISC logo, the and the logo of the Higher Education Academy are licensed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution -non-commercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 UK England & Wales license. All
reproductions must comply with the terms of that license.
Author
Kevin Meethan
Institute
Plymouth University
Title
Visual Research
Description
Presentation – Qualitative Methods – Visual Research
Date Created
November 2010
Educational Level
Keywords
7, Masters
UKOER ,LFWOER ,UOPCPDRM, Learning from WOeRK ,WBL ,WorkBased, Learning, CPD ,Continuous Professional Development
,Research Skills, Qualitative Research Methods ,Visual Research
©University of Plymouth, 2010, some rights reserved
Back page originally developed by the OER phase 1 C-Change project