Visual Content Analysis Research Articles

Environmental photograph use in corporate sustainability reporting: A machine‐supported visual content analysis

AbstractDespite the prevalence of photographs in corporate sustainability reporting, their use is not yet sufficiently understood. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first large‐scale study in the field. Introducing a novel machine‐supported approach, we assess environmental photograph utilization based on a sample of 45,228 photographs contained in 1,463 separately disclosed sustainability reports from European firms between 2011 and 2020. We find that against the overall trend of decreasing photograph utilization, the share of environmentally themed photographs has markedly increased. Furthermore, operating in an environmentally sensitive industry is strongly associated with a substantially larger share of photographs depicting environmental subject matter. Lastly, we observe that companies signal their superior environmental performance through greater utilization of environmental photographs. By introducing a novel machine‐supported approach to analyzing photographs, this study makes a methodological contribution to the field of sustainability reporting. Our results also have important practical implications.

Minors’ online privacy disclosure and protection behaviors: a systematic review

ABSTRACT The invasion of minors’ online privacy has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Examining the disclosure and protection behaviours of minors about online privacy provides a theoretical basis for the development of educational activities aimed at safeguarding minors’ privacy. This study utilised visual analysis tools and content analysis of literature to systematically map out the research hotspots and evolution in this field. The findings revealed that (1) research in this area is thriving and interdisciplinary, (2) existing studies primarily focus on minors aged 12–18 and their active privacy disclosure behaviour in social media and other scenarios, as well as key influencing factors, (3) these studies not only examine the influence of minors themselves but also the influence of parents and peers on minors’ online privacy behaviours, and (4) most minors adopt avoidance strategies such as privacy settings and alternative websites to protect their online privacy. Further research could expand the research context, resolve controversial factors, use multiple methods, and explore additional privacy behaviours. This literature review plays a crucial role in generating academic discourse and provides valuable insights for developing privacy protection policies tailored to minors.

Embodied memories - exploring memorial tattoos through the lens of terror management theory

Objectives To delve into the phenomenon of memorial tattoos in Israel following the October 7, 2023, massacre, and the ensuing Iron Swords War utilizing Terror Management Theory. Methodology A qualitative approach employing digital ethnography and visual content analysis was adopted to scrutinize 250 war tattoo images sourced from Israeli tattoo artists’ Instagram pages and Facebook groups. Data collection spanned the initial four months of the war, from October 2023 to January 2024. Findings and conclusions The analysis highlights existential anxieties stemming from the massacre and ongoing conflict, which are both reflected and addressed through the tattoos’ content and meaning. Memorial tattoos serve as responses to mortality salience, depicting themes that adhere to the three anxiety-buffer mechanisms proposed by the theory: reinforcement of collective worldviews; enhancement of self-esteem; and seeking continued attachment relationships. Through these mechanisms, tattoo recipients invest efforts in giving meaning to the inconceivable events and their ongoing grief.

Visual representation of tourism landscapes: A comparative analysis of DMOs in a cross-border destination

This paper introduces a framework for analyzing and interpreting the visual content of tourism landscapes, particularly focusing on the comparative representation of these landscapes by destination management organizations (DMOs) in the cross-border context of Usedom Island, shared by Poland and Germany. Drawing on a literature review and employing visual content analysis, this study categorizes elements of tourism landscapes as depicted in DMO-produced photographs, highlighting the differences in how these landscapes are presented to potential visitors by Polish and German DMOs. Key findings reveal significant disparities in the portrayal of cultural and natural heritage, suggesting divergent marketing strategies that may influence tourists’ perceptions and destination choices. This research not only contributes to the theoretical discourse on destination imaging and branding but also offers practical insights for DMOs in leveraging landscape elements effectively.

Exploring children’s travel well-being through drawings

ABSTRACT Research on the impact of travel on child well-being has been scarce. This study explores children’s travel preferences by analysing their drawings, revealing factors that enhance their well-being and engagement. We analysed 214 drawings from girls aged 8 to 11 from three schools in Tehran, Iran. The drawings illustrated playful activities, nature-based experiences, and cultural explorations with family and peers. Using visual content analysis, the findings suggest that children value interactive, educational travel experiences, enhancing their happiness and developmental growth. The research highlights the importance of considering children’s perspectives in tourism planning and emphasizes family, social interactions, and environmental engagement in contributing to children’s well-being. It also addresses the methodological limitations and cultural influences on their travel preferences.

Populist politicians’ representations of the people: A comparative visual content analysis of candidates’ Instagram posts in 2023 Turkish general elections

Social media posts play a key role in understanding how the concept of “the people,” which is a critical concept for populist politicians, is constructed and presented. This study examines how the two leading candidates, as right and left populist figures in Türkiye’s 2023 general elections, portrayed “the people” in their Instagram posts. The Instagram posts of two leaders were coded according to the categories of gender, headscarf, class, and age, and the representations of the people in these posts were analyzed using visual content analysis method. As a result, it was revealed Erdoğan, as a right-wing populist, included more headscarved women in his posts, Kılıçdaroğlu, as a left-wing populist, preferred more heterogeneous visuals in images in terms of gender, and that young individuals were more intensely preferred in the images shared by Kılıçdaroğlu in terms of the category of age.

The place and role of purgatory in the twenty-first century: a visual content analysis of students’ AI-generated works

This article examines current perceptions of purgatory among young people and its role in society. Architecture students’ visual material explores the evolving concept of purgatory and its importance today. The study analyses how ideas of purification and hybridity are understood in contemporary secular society. Using a structured visual research framework, the study incorporates participatory seminars, art-based methodologies and innovative AI techniques. It investigates young people’s views on purgatory and their understanding of the cosmos, considering contemporary interpretations and the concept of presentism. By combining creative and conventional research approaches, this text aims to enhance understanding and generate new insights. The analysis uncovers how purgatory and transitional spaces are understood in today’s society, revealing individual interpretations of religious teachings. It also highlights the importance of creative research methods in understanding complex religious ideas.

Paratranslating Child-Environment Relations: 22 Translations of Keeperen Og Havet by Maria Parr

ABSTRACT This article analyses the many different covers of the children’s novel Keeperen og havet (The Goalkeeper and the Sea) by Parr. It aims to determine how the child-environment relations or assemblages are represented on the source cover and its various translations. The analytical and conceptual framework applied for the visual content analysis of the covers’ designs combines intersemiotic and paratranslation theory with posthuman and new materialism perspectives and reveals that interpreting relations between the environmental setting and the characters is a complex task. The findings demonstrate that child-environment relations on the various covers are sometimes agentic, but that the agentic elements are not always the same. It is not clear whether the agentic relations are related to the target culture’s image of the source culture or whether they are influenced by how the target culture is meant to support or challenge the target readers.

Analysis of Viewing Paintings from the Perspective of Iconography

Distinguished from purely formalistic research methods, iconography pursues the interpretation of the hidden historical and humanistic connotations behind artworks, and is a discipline that combines visual text and content analysis methods. Combining the three stages of iconography proposed by Panofsky, the paper studies Shizeng Chen’s Viewing Paintings from the perspective of iconography, summarizing the formation and change of the images and contents of the artworks in the cultural system and civilization at that time, as well as their implied ideology, and analyzing the hidden spirit of the times and the historical significance behind them, so as to expound their iconographic significance. Through an in-depth discussion at three levels: pre-pictorial iconographic description, iconographic analysis, and iconographic interpretation, the facts and surface contents reproduced in the images, the traditional level of literary, artistic, and cultural knowledge, as well as the interpretation of the potential meanings are revealed.

Dream vacations of children: exploring key motivations and preferred experiences by drawing

ABSTRACT Children have an important place in the family travel market as they have a strong influence on holiday decisions and their satisfaction can directly affect their parents’ satisfaction and future behavioural intentions. To attract this market and provide child tourists with a satisfying holiday experience, it is important to better understand their motivations and preferences. The aim of this research is to identify children's motivations and preferred destinations and activities in family tourism context. In this qualitative study, where children's voices were taken into account by giving them the opportunity to express their dream family holiday experience ‘drawing’, one of the widely preferred child-friendly techniques to reveal children's perspectives, was used. A total of 103 literate children aged 6–17, residing in five different cities in four regions of Turkey, participated in the research. The data were analyzed using the visual content analysis technique in Maxqda software. The results show that children's family holiday motivations can be divided into four categories: family bonding, escaping and exploring new places, activities and play, rest and relaxation. Additionally, the activities that children seek in destinations include opportunities for group activities, activities related to nature, cultural experiences, and built environment experiences.

Ontogenetic, Spatial and Inter-Annual Variability in the Diet of European Hake Merluccius merluccius Linnaeus, 1758, in the North Aegean Sea

This study contributes to filling knowledge gaps regarding recent information on the diet of the European hake, Merluccius merluccius Linnaeus, 1758, in the Greek seas, particularly its ontogenetic shifts and its spatiotemporal variability. The trophic preferences of M. merluccius were investigated in the North Aegean Sea during the summers of 2019 to 2023 with visual stomach content analysis to assess its composition, diversity, and variability across body-size classes, years, and subareas. The identified prey are functionally diverse and in many cases also primary targets for local fisheries. The ontogenetic trophic niche of hake was characterized by two distinct shifts, delineated by 10 and 50 cm body-size thresholds. Cephalopods were a prevalent dietary component for large hake individuals. The intermediate body-size classes demonstrated greater trophic niche breadth concerning prey diversity and absolute prey-size ranges. A feeding strategy characterized by the specialization of individuals was also revealed. The effect of the temporal and spatial context on the hake diet was occasionally correlated with spatiotemporal variations in the sizes of their populations. In conclusion, ontogenetic and spatiotemporal variability in the hake diet were found to be significant and should be considered in the data collection design and analyses of the trophic interactions of the species.

Mediatization and Mystique. Volodymyr Zelensky’s Self-Presentation on Instagram

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: This study uses mediatization theory and Goffman’s concept of self-presentation to explain the inseparable role of social media in the rise of Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukrainian politics and, since the Russian invasion, world consciousness. From the start, his political persona has been governed far more by media logic than political calculation, although the former has translated into the latter. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM AND METHODS: The analysis explores how Zelensky develops an iconic communication style through visual framing and other mediation techniques. Towards this end, we conduct a visual content analysis of images posted to his official Instagram account across three points in time: his candidacy, presidency before the invasion, and first year of the invasion. 100 images are sampled from each time period and subjected to detailed visual and nonverbal analysis. THE PROCESS OF ARGUMENTATION: Employing framing theory and Goffman’s notion of self-presentation, the study explains the Ukrainian leader’s skillful use of visual and nonverbal messaging to project an image of an everyman president and, beginning with the February 2022 invasion, emergent soldier-in-chief. The analysis also shows how specific visual appeals (e.g., facial expressions, Ukrainian symbols) and background settings influence Zelensky’s presentation over time. RESEARCH RESULTS: Results show how the inclusion of more political, and then diplomatic and military, elites in posts during his presidency and year one of the invasion positions Zelensky as a recognized leader while solidifying his status as soldier-in-chief. Indeed, the ubiquity and universality of his soldier persona have become a widely recognized symbol of the fight for democratic freedom. CONCLUSIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The study illustrates how Zelensky utilizes social media, Instagram in particular, as a platform for compelling self-presentation while communicating a message of national unity and resolve. His ubiquitous media presence has introduced a new perspective on leadership during wartime.

An Investigation Into The Reading Direction Preferences Of Generation Z: A Study On The Design Of Asian Winter Olympics Posters

Visual design is a crucial tool for communicating ideas through images rather than words or printed text. It enables readers to visually interpret and understand information, potentially solving problems across various life aspects. Traditional reading patterns usually flow from left to right and from top to bottom, while some Asian scripts are written in horizontal rows from left to right or in vertical columns from top to bottom. Lines guide the eye between sections and visual elements, while white space allows the eye to rest and focus on targeted areas. The purpose of arranging the five elements of layout design—text, images, lines, shapes, and white space—is to capture the reader's attention and effectively convey information. In this study, researchers conducted a visual content analysis of a poster with 40 Generation Z respondents to investigate their reading direction. This generation is known for its frequent use of various gadgets and preference for short, simple text to comprehend content. The researchers intentionally designed a vertical banner-sized poster representing the Asian Winter Olympics as a sample. The events included Sapporo 1972 and Nagano 1998 in Japan, PyeongChang 2018 in South Korea, and Beijing 2022 in China. The poster is segmented into four sections from top to bottom, each depicting one of the Winter Olympics events from 1972 to 2022. Coding categories were developed to analyse text layout, lines, and white space. However, the colours and images of these emblems and symbols of the Winter Olympic Games were predetermined, so colours and images were not examined in this study. This exploratory study of Generation Z offers an analytical approach to understanding the reading orientation of Generation Z and serves as a basis for future research. Additionally, several informants tended to scan the poster for information, even though it was not indicated that the poster could be interacted with via an app on their mobile phones.

Adequate housing in Taipei City’s private rental market: a visual content analysis of online rental unit advertisements

Since 2017, Taipei City government has implemented a policy to expand the rental housing market with a set of incentives for landlords that brings more affordable apartments to the market. This study applied visual content analysis to online rental housing advertisements to investigate the private rental market’s ability to provide adequate housing. The results show limited supply in the affordable price range, structural deficits, and elements contributing to an unsafe and unhealthy living environment. Also, accessibility is not ensured, as 91% of the units are in walk-up buildings. In addition, the prospects of the current policy direction for improving tenants’ precarity in the private rental market are weak, as discrimination and lease insecurity are not being addressed. This paper discusses the potential adverse effects of the current policy direction, including hindering urban regeneration efforts and fuelling a ‘Generation Landlord’. A tenant-centred, multidimensional approach to affordability is recommended as a starting point for future policy design.

Deep-learning-based decomposition of overlapping-sparse images: application at the vertex of simulated neutrino interactions

Image decomposition plays a crucial role in various computer vision tasks, enabling the analysis and manipulation of visual content at a fundamental level. Overlapping and sparse images pose unique challenges for decomposition algorithms due to the scarcity of meaningful information to extract components. Here, we present a solution based on deep learning to accurately extract individual objects within multi-dimensional overlapping-sparse images, with a direct application to the decomposition of overlaid elementary particles obtained from imaging detectors. Our approach allows us to identify and measure independent particles at the vertex of neutrino interactions, where one expects to observe images with indiscernible overlapping charged particles. By decomposing the image of the detector activity at the vertex through deep learning, we infer the kinematic parameters of the low-momentum particles and enhance the reconstructed energy resolution of the neutrino event. Finally, we combine our approach with a fully-differentiable generative model to improve the image decomposition further and the resolution of the measured parameters. This improvement is crucial to search for asymmetries between matter and antimatter.

Exploring Gender Stereotypes in Infant and Toddler Product Advertisements through Visual Content Analysis

Exploring Gender Stereotypes in Infant and Toddler Product Advertisements through Visual Content Analysis

Communicative potential of stop-motion animation in the practice of modern design

The relevance of the research is determined by the need to substantiate and implement effective visualnarrative media formats for creating effective visual communications capable of clearly conveying messages and ideas to the viewer. The purpose of the work is to reveal and evaluate the communicative potential of stop-motion animation in the context of audiovisual practices of modern design. Research methodology is formed by general scientific and special methods, in particular, comparative and historical analysis, scientific analysis and synthesis, methods of visual observation, modeling, art history and content analysis. The research substantiates the technical techniques, formal and artistic approaches of stop-motion and reveals their influence on the communicative potential of animation in the context of various project tasks. The effectiveness of the tools of stop-motion animation in modern audiovisual design practices for increasing the emotional involvement of the audience and improving the perception of content due to attractiveness and experimentation has been proven. The ability of stop-motion animation for detail, visual saturation, expressiveness and emotional expressiveness can play a key role in solving design problems where a deep narrative impact needs to be achieved. The paper substantiates the expediency of using the main technical techniques of stop-motion animation in the implementation of specific conceptual project tasks, in particular in short animated films of various genres, in advertising videos, in art projects, where the goal can be achieved due to the high artistic characteristics of the visual series, interactivity and emotional interaction with the viewer. The practical value of the work is determined by the possibility of implementing the research results into practical recommendations for the implementation of specific projects. The results of the research can be useful in the academic community for the further development of the theoretical foundations of stop-motion animation and the expansion of project approaches in educational courses related to audiovisual art and visual communication

Anatomy's missing faces: An assessment of representation gaps in atlas and textbook imagery.

Previous research suggests that underrepresentation in medical curricula perpetuates inequities in healthcare. This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of human phenotypic diversity (e.g., skin tone, sex, body size, and age) across 11 commonly used anatomy atlases and textbooks in pre-clerkship medical education, published from 2015 to 2020. A systematic visual content analysis was conducted on 5001 images in which at least one phenotypic attribute was quantifiable. Anatomy images most prevalently portrayed light skin tones, males, persons with intermediate body sizes, and young to middle-aged adults. Of the 3883 images in which there was a codable skin tone, 81.2% (n = 3154) depicted light, 14.3% (n = 554) depicted intermediate, and 4.5% (n = 175) depicted dark skin tones. Of the 2384 images that could be categorized into a sex binary, 38.4% (n = 915) depicted females and 61.6% (n = 1469) depicted males. A male bias persisted across all whole-body and regional-body images, including those showing sex organs or those showing characteristics commonly associated with a specific sex (e.g. for males, facial hair and/or muscle hypertrophy). Within sex-specific contexts, darker skin was underrepresented, but male depictions displayed greater overall skin tone variation. Although most images could not be assigned to a body size or age category, when codable, these images overwhelmingly depicted adults (85.0%; 482 of 567) with smaller (34.7%; 93 of 268) or intermediate (64.6%; 173 of 268) body sizes. Ultimately, these outcomes provide reference metrics for monitoring ongoing and future efforts to address representation inequalities portrayed in anatomical imagery.

Corporate Social Advocacy Communication Style on #TBSFightForSisterhood on Instagram

Over the past years, companies have taken a new kind of social stand and publicly spoken on issues unrelated to their core business activities. The topics about gender equality rights or sexual harassment have become one of the main focuses on the corporate agenda, and companies have started advocating those issues actively. This phenomenon is then called corporate activism. This study discusses The Body Shop Indonesia's (TBSI) communication style in voicing corporate activism or corporate social advocacy through #TBSFightForSisterhood on Instagram. TBSI is engaging in corporate activism by addressing and advocating for controversial socio-political issues. This qualitative analysis study explores the themes The Body Shop Indonesia covers in its CSA communication and how The Body Shop frames CSA communication on Instagram. The analysis method used is visual and textual content analysis on Instagram. This study identified four communication frames in The Body Shop’s posts: informative, mobilizing, participatory, and aspirational. In conclusion, the most used communication style is informational, followed by mobilization, participation, and aspiration.

ANONIMITAS VISUAL DAN PENEKANAN VERBAL: Tinjauan Semiotika Konten Instagram BNN Cegah Narkoba

The success of the Badan Narkotika Nasional (BNN) in protecting and saving the Indonesian people from stopping illegal drug trafficking in 2021 has exceeded the target set. This can be realized thanks to preventive campaigns, including Instagram social media. This research aims to present the results of a semiotic analysis of visual content uploaded by BNN via the BNN Cegah Narkoba Instagram account (@bnn_cegahnarkoba) from January to June 2022 based on their success in reducing the rate of triggering and illicit circulation of drugs in Indonesia throughout 2021. The method used in this study is the triadic semiotic analysis by Charles Sanders Peirce, who interprets the relationship between objects through DKV elements, DKV principles, and typography in contents with a representamen that produces an interpretant. The results of this research show that the meaning of the BNN Cegah Narkoba’s campaign content tends to display anonymous visual representations of its audience and places more emphasis on preventive verbal messages. Additionally, visual associations to symbols of popular fictional characters are also used so that the range of impact can be even wider. This tendency is carried out based on compliance with media ethics and consideration of the target audience dominated by young people. Keywords: anti-drug campaign, BNN, Peirce’s semiotics