Introduction on critical visual methodology

Abstract

Choosing a particular research method depends on all sorts of factors. This research paper examines the factors related to the basic analytical approach adopted in relation to visual images. The paper discusses some debates about the importance of the visual to contemporary Western societies. It offers a broad analytical framework for understanding how images become meaningful. The paper suggests some criteria for a critical approach to visual materials. It places different methodologies in that framework, to begin to suggest which methods might be best suited for which kinds of analysis. It offers some practical suggestions for referencing and reproducing images in your final work.