When words fail us: using visual composites in research reporting

Abstract

This article describes a use of visual imagery in research reporting that helps to emphasize the human and social dimensions of research issues and encourage different ways of thinking about the findings and implications. During the literature review, in order to establish the authors’ longitudinal research into adult literacy, they observed that research participants’ own perspectives and rich life-worlds were usually invisible in final reports and articles, submerged under layers of governmental or scholarly discourse. An irony was that, while literacy theory was moving towards acknowledging multi-literacies, reporting of literacy research remained heavily mono-modal. The authors of this research wanted to differ from this trend by giving people who were affected by adult literacy policy a vivid presence within their reports. They were intrigued by the use of visual means to foreground interviewees’ own words both as a way to register their importance to readers and to try to signal the multi-modal nature of literacy. They depicted their interviewees’ words as language spoken by imagined individuals typical of the interviewees, grounded within photographs of their research site. In this article, the authors describe their intentions and methods in making their reports visual and artistic composites rather than more traditional densely worded policy reports; they deconstruct some of the key images contained in their report in order to critique their efficacy in achieving their aims.

Cartoon Illustration as an Assessment Tool for First‐Gen Students

“…The literature recommends the use of multiple modalities when communicating higher‐level concepts. In an analysis of research reporting, Sligo and Tilley (2011) found the use of visual imagery more effective than words alone. Likewise, among a group of 13–14‐year‐olds, Reiss, Boulter, and Tunnicliffe (2007) found the expression of concepts through drawing tied to higher‐level thinking among the children.…”

Cartoon Illustration as an Assessment Tool for First‐Generation College Students

“…The literature recommends the use of multiple modalities when communicating higher‐level concepts. In an analysis of research reporting, Sligo and Tilley (2011) found the use of visual imagery more effective than words alone. Likewise, among a group of 13–14‐year‐olds, Reiss, Boulter, and Tunnicliffe (2007) found the expression of concepts through drawing tied to higher‐level thinking among the children.…”

Animating social work research findings: a case study of research dissemination to benefit marginalized young people

“…In relation to the latter, which is our area of interest, two recent studies provide excellent examples. Bartlett (2013), in her examination of the social activism of people with dementia, made use of cartoons to represent and present findings, while Sligo and Tilley (2011) used visual composites to present data from participants about their experiences of literacy and an adult literacy program. There were limitations noted with both of these visual approaches, respectively: for example, people often have strong reactions to cartoons, or question the role of humour in talking about a sensitive or difficult issue; and visual methods may not be seen as sufficiently formal or rigorous for funders or policy makers; or pictures may be interpreted in many ways.…”

“…Of interest to us here is that, both from Bartlett (2013) and Sligo and Tilley’s (2011) research, participants could be seen to belong to marginalized groups. One other hidden group in our community are children whose parent/s are in prison – our focus in this project.…”