Visual Methods

Question 1

Why might sport researchers be interested in visual methods?

Answer 1

• Ocular society – visual material is present in contemporary lives
• Increased interest in visual methods across disciplines
• Photographs films and video are increasing used as genuine forms/sources of data
• Interviews/narratives make understanding experiences accessible
BUT visual data can communicate meaning, capturing more than words alone can, more vivid
• Increased engagement in research process

Question 2

What do visual methods allow researchers to do?

Answer 2

Allow researchers to ask different questions:
• What are we able/allowed/made/choose to see?

•By understanding what we see, we can understand how we came to see it (social construction), and what its effect is on people

Question 3

What visual materials/data is there?

Answer 3

• Photos
• Video / film
• Maps / graphs
• Drawings
• Artwork
• Brand logos / material
• Clothing,

Question 4

What are the two ways visual methods can be used in research?

Answer 4

Visual as topic – analysing the visual media (e.g. content analysis of Olympic imagery in the media)
Visual as resource – used to support other forms of data collection (e.g. photo elicitation research)

Question 5

What is photo-elicitation?

Answer 5

Method of interview that uses visual images to elicit comments.

Question 6

What are the different ways visual data can be found/used?

Answer 6

• Researcher found visual data
• Researcher created visual data
• Respondent generated visual data
• Representative visual data

Question 7

What is researcher found visual data? and example

Answer 7

Griffin (2010) – ethnography of women’s only running
• Found and analysed existing visual data about women’s running
ADD

Question 8

What is researcher created visual data?

Answer 8

• e.g. Auto-photography by researchers
• Orr & Phoenix (2015) – explored the role of physical
activity on people’s perceptions of ageing
• Used life history interview and followed up with visual
methods approach
• Took photos of participants engaging in physical activity.

Question 9

What is respondent generated visual data?

Answer 9

• e.g. auto-photography by participants-take pictures that are meaningful
• Often used for young participants
Mcphail &; Kinchin (2004) – explored children’s perceptions of sport education
• Multiple data collection methods – interviews, focus
groups, questionnaires, researcher generated video and
participant drawings

Question 10

What is representative visual data?

Answer 10

• Visual representations of existing data e.g. word cloud or storyboard e.g. Sandford et al, 2019

Question 11

What is a general analysis of visual data?

Answer 11

• Variety of methods of analysis
• Reliant on researcher interpretation and meaning making-no clear way so often used to complement other data collection methods
• Used to supplement other analysis methods - visual stimuli aids understanding

Question 12

What are the strengths of visual research?

Answer 12

• Enhance traditional data collection methods
-Stimulate discussion during interviews or focus groups
• Another ‘layer’ to analysis
- Creates additional meaning / context
- Increased validity, reliability and depth
• Can be used with any population
- Non-verbal so young, old, vulnerable
• Images, videos, etc do not forget (added trustworthiness)

Question 13

What are the weaknesses of visual research?

Answer 13

• Photos tell a story but..
-Usually accompanied by text
• Image manipulation-what is not shown (varying angles)
• Ethical challenges (consent of photos, confidentiality)
• Genuine analytical procedures remain to be developed
• Researcher produced visual data – potential for bias

Question 14

What is one way to analyse visual data?

Answer 14

Visual Narrative Analysis-focuses on how an image is produced and interpreted and the image itself
-focuses on context as well as content
-narrative analysis of images
more complex analysis takes place
negatives are:
-labour intensive
-interpretation doesn’t always occur in a sequential order