So often in research practices, thoughts, feelings and even ideas of research participants can be rooted deep within places that may not be able to be expressed without the use of visual images. This idea allows participants a new outlet to express themselves. This process can be used in a number of ways including as a reflective process or as a way of conceptualizing thoughts and ideas.
This method is often times used in the field of art therapy as a tool for researchers to allow their participants and outlet for expression.
The following is an example of concept mapping. This expample is from the work of Sylvain Bertin (2008)
With the increased interest in reflective practices in qualitative research and in giving meaning to voice in research texts, concept mapping can be used as a way of conceptualizing emergent ideas before they take form by giving a visual sense to messy thoughts held in the mind during the analytic process, and by helping researchers to represent visually ideas that emerge from the data being analyzed (Butler-Kisber, 2008)
This video was a presentation of the research done with adults with developmental disabilities. In the study, Sara Lige used visual art as her research tool while studying adults with learning disabilities.
Much like with researcher produced visual images, Collage can also be used by participants. The following study explores how children can be used in studies about the effects of climate change and other environmental issues by using mapping and collage techniques.
LInks & Further Readings:
Visual Modality versus authenticity: the example of autobiographical comics - Elisabeth El Refaie
Visual Studies, Vol. 25, No. 2, September 2010
In this article, the author is discussing the use of autobiographical comics in examining the perceived and actual self. She references the autobiographical work of Max Cabanes, Marjane Satrapi and Alison Bechdel, in order to understand the complex relationship between representation and reality, and develop ways to code and determine the authenticity and truthfulness of individual experiences depicted through visual images.
