From photographs to findings: visual meaning-making and interpretive engagement in the analysis of participant-generated images

Abstract

Although the use of visual research is gaining increased acceptance, there remains a lack of attention directed to how to rigorously analyse visual images. A framework of 'interpretive engagement' is proposed to describe analytic processes for meaning-making of participant-generated visual images. The 'interpretive engagement' framework comprises three stages of meaning-making; these are meaning-making through participant engagement (Stage 1), through researcher-driven engagement (Stage 2), and through re-contextualising (Stage 3). These three stages on their own are limited, but in combination provide rich and comprehensive visual analysis. The 'interpretive engagement' framework involves f..