Visual Research: A Concise Introduction to Thinking Visually

by Jerome W. Crowder, Jonathan S. Marion

Overview

Visual Research: A Concise Introduction to Thinking Visually, Second Edition, provides an accessible introduction to doing visual research in the social sciences. Beginning with ethical considerations, this book highlights the importance of thinking visually before engaging in visual research. Further themes involve creating, organizing, and using images and are presented so as to help readers think about and work with their own visual data.

This fully updated second edition includes new case studies, updated discussions regarding the ethics of social media and online content, new technology, and an expansion to include new material on museum, public, and applied work.

Concise and highly focused, Visual Research is an invaluable resource for visual, media, and communications students and researchers, and others interested in visual research in the social sciences.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032101798
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/12/2023
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jerome W. Crowder is Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Behavior and Social Sciences at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston, USA. He is a former president and board member of the Society for Visual Anthropology (SVA).

Jonathan S. Marion is a former president of the Society for Visual Anthropology and the Society for Humanistic Anthropology and now works as a transformational life coach, consultant, and educator.

Table of Contents

SECTION 1: Image Basics  1. The Ethics of Images  2. Starting to Think Visually  3. Thinking of Images as Data  SECTION 2: Making Images  4. Cameras in Social Science Research  5. Photography  6. Video  7. Multimedia  8. Using Images  SECTION 3: Organizing Images 9. Storage and Organization 10. Images, Metadata, and Research

Editorial Reviews

"The authors have clearly figured out how to successfully teach visual research, and they share their insights in an engaging and immediately accessible way. In the classroom and in the field, researchers, teachers and students will welcome this book. It is both concise and comprehensive. - Liam Buckley, Co-editor of 'Visual Anthropology Review', President of the Society for Visual Anthropology

Visual Research is an accessible introduction to the ever-expanding world of visual ethnography ... There is a careful balance of accessible and clear language alongside technical information that makes the book of use to the researcher or lay person with an interest in the field. Indeed, a key success of the book is that it manages to merge considerations of analysis and ethics with easy-to-follow practical advice about creating, storing and using images as methods of data collection ... This book encourages researchers who may be new to using visual ethnography to think critically about the use and meaning of visual data. It successfully teaches the reader the purpose and processes required to complete a successful visual research project. - Qualitative Research - Heather Pennington, Cardiff University, UK

With its emphasis on most recent digital and online technologies - which makes it easier for all of us to produce, store and use images - the book represents an up-to-date introduction to visual research ... it comes at the right time, and its emphasis on the importance of thinking visually before engaging in visual research will probably remain invaluable. - Anthropological Notebooks - Gilles De Rapper, CNRS, IDEMEC, France

Jonathan Marion and Jerome Crowder's Visual Research covers a lot of important ground, and in a tightly argued manner. Their summary of ethics covers the important issues surrounding images in the digital age. Images have a history in anthropology, which is presented as a succinct overview, and the modern world offers an often dizzying set of options regarding the way to make, process, analyze, and store images. Their ability to write clearly about these important but often overlooked issues makes their book especially useful and will ensure its place in the growing library of handbooks on visual methods. - Doug Harper, Professor of Sociology at Duquesne University, Author of 'Visual Sociology'

As an increasing number of researchers in the social sciences engage with the potential of visual media it is crucial that they learn to think critically about the meaning and status of images and apply a scholarly rigour to their own visual practices. Visual Research provides an accessible introduction to the key issues, from the ethical consequences of making and showing images to the practical management of digital files. Case studies from a range of disciplinary perspectives provide insights into the benefits and challenges of working visually. Visual Research will be particularly useful to students at the outset of their visual research careers; whilst digital visual technologies may be ubiquitous, their application to research requires the acquisition of new skills and ways of thinking. - Darren Newbury, Research Co-ordinator for Visual Communication, Birmingham City University, Editor of 'Visual Studies'"

From the Publisher

Jonathan Marion and Jerome Crowder's Visual Research covers a lot of important ground, and in a tightly argued manner. Their summary of ethics covers the important issues surrounding images in the digital age. Images have a history in anthropology, which is presented as a succinct overview, and the modern world offers an often dizzying set of options regarding the way to make, process, analyze, and store images. Their ability to write clearly about these important but often overlooked issues makes their book especially useful and will ensure its place in the growing library of handbooks on visual methods.

Professor of Sociology at Duquesne University Doug Harper

The authors have clearly figured out how to successfully teach visual research, and they share their insights in an engaging and immediately accessible way. In the classroom and in the field, researchers, teachers and students will welcome this book. It is both concise and comprehensive.

Liam Buckley

As an increasing number of researchers in the social sciences engage with the potential of visual media it is crucial that they learn to think critically about the meaning and status of images and apply a scholarly rigour to their own visual practices. Visual Research provides an accessible introduction to the key issues, from the ethical consequences of making and showing images to the practical management of digital files. Case studies from a range of disciplinary perspectives provide insights into the benefits and challenges of working visually. Visual Research will be particularly useful to students at the outset of their visual research careers; whilst digital visual technologies may be ubiquitous, their application to research requires the acquisition of new skills and ways of thinking.

Darren Newbury