Using photo-elicitation to examine artefacts in a sport club: logistical considerations and strategies throughout the research process

Abstract

There are a number of logistical considerations that need to be addressed when using photo-elicitation in research, yet these are rarely discussed in the existing literature. This paper elucidates the challenges particular to using photo-elicitation in research and proposes strategies for addressing these issues. We drew upon our experiences using a combination of photographs taken by participants and photographs taken by the researcher in photo-elicitation interviews to examine the perceptions of skaters towards various artefacts in a figure skating club. We present the logistical considerations and strategies around the typical steps of the research process: (1) ethics, (2) participant recruitment, (3) data collection, (4) data management, (5) data analysis and (6) dissemination. Despite the numerous challenges and considerations that accompany the use of photographs in research, we found there to be a number of significant benefits when combining participant-driven and research-driven techniques.

Keywords:

• figure skating
• photographs
• auto-driven
• researcher-driven
• artefacts

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by in part by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Masters Award. The authors would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers who provided valuable feedback in the final development of this paper.

Notes

1. Names have been replaced with pseudonyms.