Visual Research Methods Research Articles

Language planning in the process of linguistic landscape transformation of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The objective of this research is to reflect on the relationship between language policy and planning and the transformational nature of the linguistic landscape of Kazakhstan. The study focusing on primary data resources (globalization, Latinization, localization, hybridization, westernization), resulted in the rise in visibility, prestige, and everyday use of the Kazakh language and the growing influence of English in the city’s linguistic landscape. It argues that the so-called language fashion promotes a positive view of language in everyday communication. Considering language choices in the linguistic landscape emanating from the «top-down» (centralized policies) and «bottom-up» (grass-roots and local initiatives), the article presents examples found in Astana’s linguistic landscape that give visibility to the multilingual and bilingual nature of the signs. The research not only employs a qualitative approach for data collection and analysis but also incorporates visual research methods, highlighting the multidimensional nature of the study and its comprehensive exploration of the subject matter.

Visual Identity Logo Collaboration Eiger 1989 x National Park Collection 2022

Every brand in the industry competition increasingly creates unlimited choices. That way, every brand is always trying to find ways to connect emotionally with consumers. Through this research, we can find out how the visual identity communicated through the collaboration logo design of the Eiger 1989 x National Park Collection is connected with the message of meaning to be conveyed. The research method uses qualitative to facilitate the analysis process. The authors also use a four-stage approach to visual communication design research methods, including description, analysis, interpretation, and assessment. The findings based on the research that has been done are collaboration logos that, at first glance, seem to use headlines with taglines. After being analyzed as a whole, the collaboration logo was designed based on following the anatomy of the logo formation, besides that, there are overall visual elements that can represent brand identity and collaboration concepts. Logo design through good composition and the meaning of good communication messages will increase customer loyalty.

Using photographs in qualitative accounting research

Purpose: When the “linguistic turn” is replaced by the “visual turn”, there is a natural need for social scientists to embrace the new reality and incorporate visuals in their research. As a result, the importance of visual research, which centers on the use of visual sources, is growing. This paper provides an overview of how visual materials and related methodological approaches can be used in qualitative management and accounting research. Methodology/approach: We begin by reviewing the literature on the research methods, drawing from many disciplines such as sociology, organizational learning, management, and accounting. Next, we analyze three cases – already published papers in accounting – to illustrate how photography can be used in qualitative accounting research. Findings: There is a growing literature on visual research methods. Researchers have used visual materials as primary and secondary data and multiple methodological approaches. Visual methods can also be used in accounting research. Originality/value: This paper provides an overview of emerging methodological approaches that use visual materials and discusses how they can be incorporated into qualitative accounting research. Research limitations: Drawing a simple line between the various approaches presented in this paper is difficult as researchers can use visual material in unique ways throughout the research process. Therefore, the presented methodological categorizations can only help to better understand emerging visual research.

Geographies of alcohol, drinking, and drunkenness through the lens of participatory video

In this dialogue, we view geographies of alcohol, drinking, and drunkenness through the lens of participatory video and drawing on research within geographies of youth. We address participatory, visual research methods and ask how such methods might enable researchers to ask (a)new questions about familiar terrain, as proposed by Jayne and Valentine (2024) . In so doing, we re-visit ethnographic participant-led video data from our research on youth and belonging more than a decade ago.

Class matters—Children's perceptions of sports coaching

AbstractThe aim of the study was to acquire an insight into the experiences of 84 children from two schools in the United Kingdom who were asked to describe their interpretation of ‘excellent sports coaching’. Using visual and narrative research methods it was found that the influence of social class was significant. Children from higher socioeconomic groups described excellent sports coaching as a structured and adult‐led process, whereas children from lower socioeconomic classes described it as being more play‐like and self‐determined. Reasons for this difference are explained through the contrasting attitudes to sport and physical activity present amongst different social classes.

O.6.3-7 Participatory video as an evaluation method: lessons learned from a community-based participatory research project with women in difficult life situations

Abstract Purpose Visual research receives less attention compared to text-based research, especially in evaluating projects for physical activity (PA). This is surprising, since empowering individuals and communities to engage in the assessment tasks, and take decisions about the evaluation process has shown to have a positive impact on outcomes (Fetterman et al., 2018). NU-BIG[1] set out to involve women in difficult life situations[2] (n = 6) in creating a video to reflect upon the long-term effects of a PA program. It implies “a collaborative approach in which people create a video about themselves to open spaces for learning, enable change and transformation” (Milne et al., 2012, pp.36). Methods We conducted a qualitative study using a semi-standardized monitoring protocol, semi-structured interviews (n = 12), field notes (n = 4), and a reflexive focus group interview (n = 1) to investigate the process of making the video. Results The video-making process lasted from November 2021 to July 2023. Along the way, researchers and the women involved faced numerous challenges. For the women, deciding on doing a video resulted in insecurities and often seemed to rather inhibit their active participation. They needed sustained support and guidance from scientists (i.e., organizing meetings, providing content), as well as the help of a media professional to handle practical aspects. However, in later stages of the process, they also experienced dynamic learning, which improved their general media literacy, self-confidence and critical awareness.The women clearly voiced that the video was to be done on their terms. This put the involved researchers in a challenging situation. Researchers were forced to continuously reflect on their own role and identity in the process, and had to relinquish control. This required them to be flexible in e.g. the facilitation of meetings and a permanent ability to adapt to spontaneous situations and demands. Conclusions The video enabled women to share how PA had influenced their lives, allowing them to reclaim their voices and combat feelings of marginalization. As an evaluation method, it can enable relevant stakeholders to gain valuable data, which can contribute to social change. Visual research methods should be given more importance, particularly in community-based projects with vulnerable population groups.

“A little bit fun, a little bit frustrating:” utilizing photovoice to document university student responsibility during a global pandemic

ABSTRACT Photovoice is a popular visual participatory action research method for participants to identify strengths and opportunities for change in their community by taking, discussing, and displaying photographs. Although Photovoice has been used in educational research, the literature of its use in higher education in the U.S. is limited and individual participant experiences with Photovoice projects are seldom scrutinized. Moreover, qualitative methods are broadly under-utilized among universities in the U.S. for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of university accreditation principles and practices. This article explores the usage of a virtual (online) Photovoice project among university faculty, administrators, staff, and students to document the institutional learning core competency of ‘personal, professional, and community responsibility’ at an open-access comprehensive public university in the American Pacific Northwest. We describe the project’s methods and processes, and elucidate participants’ motivations for participation and their experiences in the project. We make recommendations for future use of Photovoice in this capacity, particularly via a Zoom virtual videoconferencing platform.

“Kudliwa imali, kudliwe umuntu”: In-school Adolescent Girls’ Experiences of Umqasho and Transactional Sex in a Rural Sub-District of Northern KwaZulu-Natal

This study examined the intersecting impact of structural inequalities and transactional sex on in-school adolescent girls’ risk of pregnancy and poor educational outcomes in rural northern KwaZulu-Natal. In this article, we understand structural inequalities as providing a basis for transactional relationships between adolescent girls and older men. Participatory visual research methods were employed with 18- and 19-year-old girls and boys to examine multiple systems of oppression and inequalities experienced by in-school rural adolescent girls, focusing particularly on their vulnerability to transactional sex, pregnancy and poor educational outcomes. In this context, moralising discourses on transactional sexual relationships are unhelpful if structural barriers placing girls at risk are not addressed.

A Novel Approach to Support the Use of Visual Methods when Researching with People Living with Dementia

Accepted methods of enquiry to address qualitative research questions are focus groups and interviews, enabling access to the experiences, opinions, and perspectives of participants. However use of these methods with people with dementia is problematic because this condition can impair verbal communication in addition to other domains. These challenges can have a significant impact when trying to obtain insight from an individual through conversation and discussion. As researchers, we should be creating alternative methods that place equal importance on behaviour that is non-verbal as well as verbal. This contribution highlights the need for the advancement of creative qualitative methods drawing on lessons learned of the benefits and challenges during the development of a novel approach to support the use of visual methods in dementia research. By focussing on all that is retained and done well, emphasising individual strengths and abilities, offers an increasingly prevalent alternative to existing loss-deficit models that have characterised dementia research in the past. This approach highlights the importance and appropriateness of visual methods in enabling meaning and transparency throughout the research process from ethical approval and consent procedures through to the collection, analysis, dissemination, and impact of the research data.

Exploring animal husbandry in smallholder dairy systems in Ethiopia using photovoice

This study uses photovoice to explore smallholder dairy farmers’ husbandry knowledge and practices and document how they address constraints faced in pursuing their livelihood strategy. Currently, there is a paucity of farmer-led research in Ethiopia which captures farmers’ local knowledge and lived experiences.This study was conducted in April and May 2021 in Kaliti, a sub-city of Addis Ababa, and Holeta, located near Addis Ababa, in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Farmers were selected through purposive and snowball sampling approaches based on their previous participation in a bovine tuberculosis study. Farmers selection was based on their experience in dairy farming and willingness to attend research-related meetings and to engage in photo-taking and subsequent group discussions. Farmers were trained on the use of the digital camera and asked to take pictures of their day-to-day activities, challenges faced in pursuing dairy production and how they overcome these challenges.The pictures taken by farmers indicated their attachment to their cattle, cattle disease symptoms, manure management, pest control practices, cattle housing, feeding practices, milking hygiene and storage. Discussions revealed that husbandry challenges faced stemmed from land-use change, declining farm sizes, poor access to veterinary and animal health services, low milk prices and high cattle feed prices. Farmers explained that they had developed knowledge of cattle nutrition, such as feed ration mixing and ways to deal with manure problems. The results of this study underscore that farmers have a good understanding of husbandry challenges and, additionally, have a wealth of local knowledge which can be leveraged, if captured through participatory and visual research methods, such as photovoice, by policymakers to develop context-aware policies and interventions and recommendations regarding improved practices which are economically viable, and socially and culturally acceptable.

Theoretical and methodological alignment through multi-modal research designs: Advancing the transactional perspective of occupation

ABSTRACT Moving beyond an individualized perspective in occupational science requires not only a theoretical paradigm shift, but also a methodological shift, broadening the focus beyond the individual experience. Methodologically, recentering the focus of inquiry to action requires thoughtful consideration of procedures to minimize some of the traditional dualisms separating individuals’ experiences of cognition and emotion, as well as distinctions drawn between individuals and the natural world. The Transactional Perspective of Occupation (TPO) supports the reduction in dualism through its action-orientation, naturalistic perspective, and conceptual understanding of the aesthetic experience. Consistent with this theoretical stance, non-participatory visual methods provide an opportunity to explore nuances of occupation that are less frequently addressed. Grounded in concepts of the TPO, this paper reviews two of these promising methods, providing an exemplar of how visual methods in occupational science research can be used to deepen understanding of occupation without privileging the individual voice. This exemplar examines multi-species engagement of horses and humans, which provides a natural opportunity to move beyond the language-based and individual-centric strategies that are commonly utilized to explore occupation. Methods and modes of analysis will be discussed, followed by a critique of their potential utility and value for future research aligned with the TPO. Employing non-participatory visual methods provides a new strategy for occupational scientists to reach past the individual perspective and more fully engage the dynamic, situated nature of occupation.

From data to strata? How design professionals “see” energy use in buildings

Improving design for efficient energy use in the built environment is a critical area for decarbonisation policy and practice. To date, this research emphasises improving tools and technology for predicting and managing energy use in buildings. No studies to date have explored how energy use is conceptualised by building design professionals. As such, this paper asks - how do architects and engineers ‘see’ and perceive energy use in UK Higher Education (HE) building design? Addressing this question is key to advancing how design professionals and building stakeholders can work together more effectively when designing for decarbonisation. We present visual narratives from 14 UK-based design professionals that include over 100 participant-produced photographs taken to represent their ways of ‘seeing’ energy use when designing HE buildings. The photo-elicitation interviews and images are analysed using Grounded Visual Pattern Analysis. The contributions of this research are twofold; first, they show how energy use is ‘seen’ and understood as both dehumanised graphs as well as emotion, personal values, family, and the natural world. This duality and contradiction sheds new light on the underlying tensions and competing professional/personal demands associated with the work of professionals designing for decarbonisation. Second, the paper provides new directions for the study of energy using visual research methods. Participant-led photography generates a different set of data that provides a deeper understanding of designers' conceptualisations and moves us beyond the dominant technological focus that is currently emphasised in research, policy, and practice.

From farm to table: exploring food handling and hygiene practices of meat and milk value chain actors in Ethiopia

Livestock value chains constitute a source of livelihood for meat and milk value chain actors in Ethiopia, from dairy farmers to other associated value chain actors such as milk traders, abattoir workers, public health officials, veterinarians, butcheries selling meats, milk cooperatives, artisanal milk processors, and transporters. The development of these livestock value chains, however, is constrained by poor food safety and quality, while consumers are also exposed to public health risks due to milk and meat value chain actors’ food handling and hygiene practices.This study used Photovoice and participant observation to explore meat and milk value chain actors’ food handling and hygiene practices in suburban areas of Addis Ababa and neighbouring Oromia in Ethiopia. The results of this study reveal that milk and meat value chain actors’ food handling practices are not aligned with the recommended Ethiopian food safety and quality standards. Low compliance with food safety and quality standards reflected a combination of factors such as lack of incentives, poor road infrastructure and low enforcement of food safety standards.Participatory and visual research methods enable a researcher to collect context-aware data that can lead to the development of policies and intervention strategies that reflect local needs and priorities. The results of this study affirm the need to identify socially acceptable and economically viable policies and intervention strategies that are acceptable to all chain actors; and suggest there is an imperative to train milk and meat value chain actors on good hygiene handling practices, improve road infrastructure, and facilitate access equipment such as fridges and freezers that can contribute to maintaining food safety and quality.

Analisis Efektivitas Kemampuan Pulih Mandiri Micro Crack pada Self-Healing Concrete

The development of Self-Healing Concrete technology is a solution to overcome anomalies in concrete structures such as Micro Crack and is a preventive measure to prevent concrete damage. This study analyzes the effectiveness of Self-Healing Concrete which has the ability to recover independently when Micro Crack occurs in exposed concrete. The ability to recover independently of micro cracks was analyzed using Laboratory-based Visual Research Methods (VRM). The results showed that the application of Bacillus Subtilis bacteria as a Healing Agent on exposed concrete was effectively used to overcome Micro Crack below 0.607 mm with self-recovery of 93.98% at the age of the test sample of 56 days. And the value of the ability to recover independently was strengthened by SEM-EDX data which showed the morphological structure of the development of mycobacterial spores that filled the Micro Crack cavity was Calcium Carbonate (Ca-K) compound.

A PhotoVoice Exploration of Pharmacists’ Lived Experiences Working During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction:Pharmacists’ pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely recognized, as they adapted to continue to provide an even higher level of care to their patients. We sought to gain deeper understanding of frontline pharmacists’ lived experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their roles and professional identity (what they do and what it means to them).Method:Photovoice was used, a visual research method that uses participant-generated photographs to articulate their experiences, and semi-structured interviews. This approach allowed us to explore the subjectivity of professional identity from the pharmacists’ lived experiences. Participants were asked to provide 3-5 photos that reflected on how they see themselves as a pharmacist and/or represents what they do as a pharmacist. The semi-structured interview guide asked open-ended questions about their photos, included a photo-elicitation exercise, and additional questions based on a recent scoping review. We recruited frontline community pharmacists who provided direct patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Canada through social media and relevant pharmacy organizations. Data analysis incorporated content, thematic and visual analysis and was facilitated using NVivo software. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Alberta ethics board.Results:Five primary themes emerged from the photographs and interviews: (1) autonomy, (2) clinical courage, (3) leadership, (4) safety, and (5) value and support. The photographs identified symbols participants associated with their lived experiences (e.g., worn shoes illustrate the relentless pace of pharmacists, a messy bed representing work-life balance out of control).Conclusion:This study identified that pharmacists’ felt the pandemic made them visible to the public and made them feel valued as a trusted resource and a safe-haven for ongoing healthcare. Additionally, it was highlighted how participants demonstrated clinical courage and led their communities by adapting their roles and using their autonomy to fulfil community needs.

Displacements. Contexts for a Participatory Media Project

AbstractThis paper presents a participatory film intervention focused on young people, which was held within the framework of a grant coordinated by the Minor Media/Culture Research Centre and took place in the form of a summer camp in 2021. After revisiting some historical examples and definitions of participatory film, the author focuses on the concept of displacement as used in film theory and psychology, which he attempts to redefine and thereby reverse its negative connotations. The author analyses the catalyst method, one of the various forms of implementing participatory video as a visual research method, which was the one used in the research described here. The participatory film methodology based on the camera-as-catalyst is meant to foster inter-group collaboration through camera use in order to achieve a free performance and interplay of identities and ultimately to strengthen social cohesion. Beyond the emancipatory intent, the diachronic and synchronic case studies are also linked by the fact that most of the projects were also collaborations with young people, as was the case in the Minor Media summer camp. In the final section, the author analyses the films made by the young people in terms of their relation to contemporary popular culture and the performance of adolescent identities defined by liminality.1

The Stakeholder Spectrum. The History and the Current State of Participatory Film in Hungary

AbstractThe Research Centre for Minor Media/Culture (founded at the Department of Media and Communication, ELTE University, Hungary) includes a number of research areas and work processes. One of them is to reveal the history and to map the actual state of the participatory film in Hungary, concieved not just as a visual social research method, but as a wide spectrum on which there are many different examples according to the depth and nature of the involvement of the stakeholders. The academic activities in the Research Centre cover the historical and theoretical aspects of participatory film, its foreign and Hungarian antecedents, contemporary national and international examples. Following the definitions of the field and examples from abroad, the author attempts to delimit the possible sub-themes that belong or could belong to the scope of participatory film. The author also mentions some aspects that seem useful for the analysis of the research topics, specifically film examples. From these varied examples a broad repository of participatory-based film will hopefully emerge: the stakeholder spectrum.1

Using photographs in consumer research of agricultural and livestock products

Photographs provide momentary visual data that facilitate consumer understanding, thus visual research methods have been used to obtain their perceptions and experiences. We aimed to conduct a literature review using studies related to the theme of this paper, to obtain an overview of sustainability, animal welfare, consumer behaviour, and the use of photographs in animal science research. The analysis method considered was qualitative and the information was obtained from scientific articles from Google Scholar, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Elsevier research platform databases, published in the last seven years, as well as from classical bibliographies to carry out a bibliographic survey related to the theme of the study. It was concluded that during the meat buying process, consumers' choices are determined mainly by the lowest price, origin, brand, product information, color, marbling, amount of fat, texture, freshness, type of cut and product conservation. The consumption of products from sustainable production and with animal welfare is still very low, mainly due to socioeconomic issues and lack of knowledge about the production process of animal products. The adoption of photographs in consumer research is capable of increasing the information load with reduced cognitive effort, reducing uncertainties during decision making. There is still a scarcity of works with photographs related to animal science and the increase would be opportune to avoid possible misinterpretations by consumers during the survey questionnaires.

Visual images of sustainability in higher education: the hidden curriculum of climate change on campus

PurposePerceptions of climate change are strongly influenced by visual cues and images. Many universities have made significant steps towards decarbonisation, yet these often remain hidden from the campus community. This study aims to explore the hidden curriculum of climate change on campus and compare participants’ images of sustainability on campus with those on university websites.Design/methodology/approachThis research was underpinned by a critical realist perspective using innovative visual research methods including auto-photography and photo-elicitation to enable deep understanding of perceptions of sustainability and climate change on campus. Grounded visual pattern analysis (GVPA) was used to analyse campus photos and compare them to images used on university websites.FindingsFindings suggest that staff and student images more strongly encapsulated tensions between humans and nature than website photos, but that the latter included more evidence of social sustainability. Neither image set expressed climate change issues effectively; the invisibility of university decarbonisation activities represents a lost opportunity for learning.Originality/valueThis research uses novel visual methodologies and analysis (GVPA) with potential for wider use in sustainability research. This study offers new insights into the importance of the hidden curriculum of sustainability in higher education and the difficulties of making climate change visible on campus.

Visual methods in family and sexuality research: Picturing the everyday, the imaginary, and the void

Engaging with visual methodology literature and the concept of ‘family display’, this article examines how visual methods can generate new ways of understanding the (in)visibility of queer family life. Engaging Chinese lesbians in image-making and photo-elicitation interviews, I illustrate how visual methods give access to different ways of making sense of ‘family’, including the ‘everyday’, the ‘imaginary’, and the ‘void’. By exploring the image-maker’s intentions, the presence or absence of the image-maker, and diverse ways of displaying family, I show how visual methods can facilitate the display of family ties, tensions, and ideals. Adopted in an open format that allows flexibility and creativity, visual methods generate space for participants to communicate the unrealisable and unseeable and for researchers to examine how dominant heteronormative representations and discourses around the ‘family’ restrict possibilities of displaying family. I highlight the importance of maintaining openness and sensitivity to cultural peculiarities when adopting visual methods.