Putting graphic elicitation into practice: tools and typologies for the use of participant-led diagrams in qualitative research interviews

Bravington, Alison; King, Nigel

Abstract

The use of diagrams to stimulate dialogue in research interviews, a technique known as graphic elicitation, has burgeoned since the year 2000. Reviews of the graphic elicitation literature have relied on the inconsistent terminology currently used to index visual methods, and have so far drawn only a partial picture of their use. Individual diagrams are seen as stand-alone tools, often linked to particular disciplines, rather than as images created from a toolbox of common elements which can be customized to suit a research study. There is a need to examine participant-led diagramming with a view to matching the common elements of diagrams with the objectives of a research project. This article aims to provide an overview of diagramming techniques used in qualitative data collection with individual participants, to relate the features of diagrams to the aspects of the social world they represent, and to suggest how to choose a technique to suit a research question.

Citation

Bravington, A., & King, N. (2019). Putting graphic elicitation into practice: tools and typologies for the use of participant-led diagrams in qualitative research interviews. Qualitative Research, 19(5), 506-523. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794118781718

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 18, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jun 19, 2018
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Deposit Date: Apr 1, 2022
• Journal: Qualitative Research
• Print ISSN: 1468-7941
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 506-523
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794118781718
• Keywords: Arts-based methods; Data collection; Diagrams; Graphic elicitation; Interviewing; Participant-led diagramming; Qualitative methods; Stimulus material; Visual methods
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3514680