Recent years have seen an increase in the use of visual methods of research
across the social sciences. As researchers realize the potential of the visual,
not only as a source but also as a means of generating data, a range of
techniques has been developed which seek data that are different from those
offered by more conventional qualitative research methods. The contributions to
this collection start from the premise either that visual research allows a
view of the social world which is not available by other means, or that its use
offers a means of augmenting other methods, such as discussion and interview.
Rather than providing a step-by-step guide to the use of visual methods, the
various authors draw on their experience of visual research to provide critical
and reflexive accounts of its use in the field, its potential for unlocking
otherwise unseen places, spaces and social action and as a basis for the
generation of conceptual and theoretical insight.
