Do Participatory Visual Methods 'Give Voice’?

An evaluative research project

About the project

The project focuses on participatory visual methods. It aims to explore the relationship between these methods and participant 'voice’. In particular, the project responds to the need for, and absence of, evidenced assessment of the claim that of participatory visual methods (PVMs) ‘give voice’: both in terms of the ‘voices’ of participants, and in understandings of these ‘voices’ by ‘audiences’.​

Increasing knowledge about participatory visual methods in this way will improve evidence-based claims about participatory visual methods, helping us to understand how different groups understand ‘voice’ and whether they perceive methods such as participatory mapping to successfully ‘give voice’. Such knowledge is useful not only for researchers using these methods, but also for advocacy groups and practitioners, who may be interested in ensuring that they have evidence of whether ‘voice’ is provided through such methods.

Funding

The project is funded by the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods, and runs between September 2017-March 2019.​