Letting Images ‘Speak for Themselves’? User Interpretation and the Ethical Considerations for Sharing Visual Data Online

Abstract

Participatory research approaches often involve visual methods. However, when it comes to data analysis, the opportunities and challenges of participatory visual methods remain underexplored. A focus on the process of data collection, rather than the data itself, may lead to the omission of a formal analysis stage. In action-orientated research, analysis is often discussion-based and undocumented. As a result, the intended ‘meaning’ behind visual data may not be explicitly communicated to audiences. This chapter explores the ethical considerations of sharing raw visual data. It considers the significance of inter-textual meanings in the digital age, where pathways to accessing that data are highly individualised, and consequently constructed meanings may radically diverge from intended meanings. It also suggests how participatory research facilitators can minimise radical divergence between intention and interpretation.