Democratizing Qualitative Research

Photovoice and the Study of Human Communication

Bibliographic Data

ID12971024
AuthorsDavid Novák (0000-0001-6592-6291, Erasmus University Rotterdam, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume4
Issue4
Pages291-310
Publication date2010-11-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCommunication Methods and Measures (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1931-2458 • E-ISSN: 1931-2466
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/19312458.2010.527870
OpenAlexW2044315106
LanguageEN
Citations received21
References cited35

This essay discusses the possibilities of photovoice as a method to advance the study of human communication. Via a democratizing of the research process, photovoice can significantly affect the study of communication. Originally proposed by Wang and Burris (1994), photovoice traditionally has been used to study the social worlds of marginalized persons (e.g., rural, learning disabled, people without homes). Photovoice is a method in which participants use cameras to document their daily lives. The photographs function as artifacts around which an in-depth interview and/or focus group is centered. In this essay, I trace the history of images in social-scientific research generally and photovoice specifically. I then discuss the setup, execution of, and challenges of a photovoice project. I conclude with examples of photovoice from my own research which highlight the potential of photovoice-generated data to inform the study of human communication

Data collection · Engineering ethics · Focus group · Photovoice · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Visual arts · Anthropology · Children's Rights and Participation · Engineering · Participatory Visual Research Methods · Psychology · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics

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