Syed Ali Tarek Discovering the out of focus themes: Using Photo Elicitation in the Field Research In most of the qualitative studies, standard data collection method is an interview that mostly is based on spoken language. Spoken language sometimes reduces the data gathered from other dimensions such as visual, which is worth investigation as those often get excluded. Images are indicative and can bring forward scenarios or situations that would otherwise be not spoken. As Weber (2008) argued, images can help us to look at reality from a different angle where the ordinary becomes extra ordinary. As a part of my PhD main study (where participants get trained in disaster preparedness) data collection, photo elicitation was used for the interview process. How participants perceived taking photos of non-human objects or elements around them and what photos they captured added an extra dimension to the standard interview process. In an attempt to capture ‘elements that they think are hazardous around their surroundings’, participants took some obvious photos and some non-obvious photos and when they were asked to choose five most important photos, they selected photos relating to issues that would not be brought forward in a standard interview process. This presentation will give a brief overview on what happened throughout the photo elicitation process.

Discovering the out of focus themes: Using Photo Elicitation

in the Field Research

Presented by:

Syed Ali Tarek

Doctoral Candidate

Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure

Outline of the presentation

• Photo elicitation technique

• The Baintala experiment

• Conclusion

Photo Elicitation technique

- Is based on the fairly simple principle of using

images in an interview and asking the participants

to comment on them.

- The images may be produced by the participants

or may be provided by the researcher.

My research

• I am researching on creating and administering

an inclusive tablet based disaster preparedness

training programme to empower technologically

disadvantaged people in South West

Bangladesh to be better aware and prepared to

take informed decisions during catastrophic

events.

• Progression so far: Pilot Study – August, 2013

Main Study - May, 2014

Pretext of Using Photo Elicitation

• Identified themes in the pilot :– People are generally unconscious of disaster

preparedness

– They highly rely on their intuition in times of a disaster

– Social participation exists but is weak within a family. (Not

all the family members will take part in pre/post disaster

planning/actions)

– Disaster preparedness is never a topic to be discussed

within the family.

– Government and NGOs are more reactive than proactive.

The Baintala Village Experiment

• Participants – 6

• Photo capturing device – Tablet (iPad)

• Participants were given the following task

– Take (minimum 5) pictures of hazardous

elements around your surroundings.

Taking the pictures

• Some of the participants used feature

phone before so they were aware of the

point and shot system. However….

• Some participants were not aware of the

imaging function and were hesitant to use

it in the first go.

• Participants would often try to zoom in to

focus on their target.

The Selection Process

These were obvious!

Unpredicted Snaps!

Represents High Wind/ Storm and there are

people underneath!

There were numerous snaps of broken roads,

misplaced bricks etc. indicating barrier to

commute in an alarming situation

Unpredicted Snaps! (cont.)

Locked Entrance! It is a very common practice to lock the

entrance and key is only available to important

members of the family (mostly parents or elderly people with

less mobility).

Unpredicted Snaps! (cont.)

Kids go free! Literally!

This exposes them to

greater trouble and risk

in an alarming event.

Unpredicted Snaps! (cont.)

Often the pathway is

blocked with woods

that they use for

cooking and for other

works.

Unpredicted Snaps! (cont.)

A very Narrow bamboo pole connecting dwelling places to

the roads. The pattern and make of the pole makes

commuting at night risky as there is no electricity in that

Village

The Newly Discovered Themes

• Communication links plays an important to

choose between staying at home or going to

the safety shelter.

• More communication within family is

needed.

• Learning to do emergency planning,

emergency kit or first aid will not help much

if the basic safety issues are not understood.

Conclusion

• Photo-elicitation represents a major strand

of visual research methodology which has

been little employed in disaster

management studies.

• My study will involve this technique to

generate supplementary data alongside

the standard interviews.

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