Examining the differences between the use of wearable cameras and traditional cameras in research – a research note

Abstract

Photographic images allow data to be captured from an alternative perspective. Traditional, manual cameras are the most common method of recording photographic data, however, innovative technology is changing the way in which photographs can be collected. Wearable cameras enable a vast amount of photographic images to be captured, automatically, without user interaction. It is often assumed that photographic research methods are used for a similar purpose, engage participants in a similar way and yield a similar outcome, however, there are various differences between the use of traditional, manual cameras and innovative, wearable cameras. This research note offers a unique contribution to the literature by highlighting the differences between the use of traditional, manual cameras and wearable, automatic cameras within research.

Keywords:

• Visual method
• wearable camera
• Sensecam
• participatory photography
• Photovoice

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my PhD supervisors, Professor Denis Martin, Dr Derek Jones and Professor Patricia Schofield, for introducing me to wearable cameras as a data collection tool.