Improving the inclusivity and credibility of visual research: interpretive engagement as a route to including the voices of people with learning disabilities in analysis

Cluley, Victoria; Pilnick, Alison; Fyson, Rachel

Abstract

Visual methods are often used in social science because of the potential for inclusivity and accessibility. In disability studies in particular, inclusive research is widely viewed as best practice and visual methods are often considered more accessible than traditional research methods. However, visual methods can encounter challenges at the stage of analysis: it is at this stage that either rigour or inclusivity are most likely to be compromised. This paper focuses on the use of interpretive engagement to overcome such challenges in the analysis of photovoice findings. Drawing on experience of using this method of analysis with 16 people with learning disabilities in the England, we first briefly outline some of the tensions that can emerge when attempting to improve inclusion in research, before going on to describe the analytic process used as way of addressing some of these tensions. The inclusiveness of interpretive engagement contributed to the rigour and meaningfulness of the findings by revealing layers of meaning which gave access to a multi-dimensional understanding of the phenomenon in question.

Citation

Cluley, V., Pilnick, A., & Fyson, R. (2021). Improving the inclusivity and credibility of visual research: interpretive engagement as a route to including the voices of people with learning disabilities in analysis. Visual Studies, 36(4-5), 524-536. https://doi.org/10.1080/1472586X.2020.1807402

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 6, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 7, 2020
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Aug 27, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 8, 2022
• Journal: Visual Studies
• Print ISSN: 1472-586X
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 4-5
• Pages: 524-536
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1472586X.2020.1807402
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4853802
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1472586X.2020.1807402
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Visual Studies on 7 Sep 2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1472586X.2020.1807402