How to Use Digital Storytelling

By Janet Salmons, PhD, author of Doing Qualitative Research Online (2022).

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What is digital storytelling?

Let me tell you what happened to me when I ….!

When I was a child, my grandmother told me about….

We hear stories from the time we are small, and carry those stories with us through life.

Stories are universal. They allow us to learn about another time, another life, another way of experiencing the world. Stories have been central to cultural and religious traditions as illustrations of good behavior or warnings about what will happen if we break the rules. Researchers have used stories in interview, narrative, diary, arts-based and other methodologies. Story-based approaches are especially valuable when studying sensitive issues or collecting data with vulnerable participants. In today’s digital world we have new ways to share and collect stories.

Cersosimo (2019) defined digital storytelling as:

[T]he telling of stories through the network of digital media. In social sciences, digital storytelling is a qualitative method that can be defined as the integration of multimedia elements in ethnographic research. … Digital storytelling unites the best of two worlds: the “old world” of telling stories and the “new world” of digital video, photography, and art.

Coghlan and Brydon-Miller (2014) point out that:

By blending recorded oral narratives with simple yet compelling visuals, Digital Storytelling practices put the power of the media into the hands of the populace. ,,,Digital Storytelling distinguishes itself from other forms of participatory video projects in a number of ways. First, digital stories typically focus on individual lives and experiences and are largely autobiographical in nature. In contrast to other types of film projects, they do not generally require actors to play out scenes or authoritative ‘experts' to share facts or talk about people in a remote, third person voice. Instead, digital stories are rooted in personal accounts.

The approach used by Coghlan and Brydon-Miller (2014) at the Center for Digital Storytelling is typically a 2- to 5-minute short film that synthesizes some combination of voice recording, still images, video clips, music or audio and text. Stories produced by the Center for Digital Storytelling generally:

1.are self-revelatory, told in first person voice;

2. convey emotion;

3. explore lived experience rather than fictional plots;

4. privilege still images and a simple visual aesthetic;

5. may include music and sound; and

6. are short (approximately 2–5 minutes in length).

Find examples of these and other approaches to digital storytelling in this multidisciplinary collection of open access research articles.

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Cox, M. M. (2022). Cultural Continuance and Agency in Cherokee Biographical Digital Storytelling. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01968599221120584

Abstract. The concepts of Native American cultural continuance and agency have become critical elements of both preserving, sharing, and extending the culture of Indigenous Americans into the future. Digital media platforms offer Native American nations a new opportunity to reach both a Native audience and society at large and contradict traditional media's cultural stereotypes and misrepresentation. Therefore, this qualitative content analysis of Cherokee Nation digital media explores what elements of cultural continuance and cultural agency are found in biographical digital storytelling. Using the key concepts extracted from the literature (visibility, envisioning a future, creative authority and autonomy, authenticity, and disrupting dominant norms) as the focus, six themes emerged from Cherokee Nation articles and documentaries.

Davey, N. G., & Benjaminsen, G. (2021). Telling Tales: Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Qualitative Data Interpretation and Communication. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211022529

Abstract. Academic journal articles often do not embody the rich accounts of long-term qualitative field work, while creative storytelling offers researchers an alternative way to reflect upon and communicate their findings. Digital storytelling is an emerging research methodology increasingly used to gather qualitative data but not so often to communicate results. As part of the ICT4COP research project, which investigates community policing and police-reform in post-conflict settings, we decided to try out digital storytelling to communicate some of the findings from the research. During the process, we observed that the digital storytelling methodology led researchers to approach their data differently. This article explores our adapted digital storytelling methodology. We draw similarities with ethnographic storytelling and highlight the digital storytelling methodology both as a means of dissemination, as well as an alternative approach to data interpretation for qualitative researchers.

Gubrium AC, Lowe S, Douglas H, Scott L, Buchanan D. Participant Engagement and Ethical Digital Storytelling: The MOCHA Moving Forward Study. International Quarterly of Community Health Education. 2020;40(4):263-271. doi:10.1177/0272684X19862931

Abstract. African-American men continue to bear a disproportionate share of the burden of health disparities, in general, and chronic diseases, in particular. The Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) Moving Forward study seeks to determine the effectiveness of an innovative, community-driven program to improve the health and quality of life of low-income African-American men between the ages of 35 to 70 years by reducing identified social risk factors for chronic disease for these men. The project uses digital storytelling (DST) to encourage African-American men to tell their stories, especially related to stress, gender role stereotypes, and mental and physical health and well-being. Thirty-six men were recruited to participate in one of four DST workshops, which resulted in each participant creating a 2- to 3-minute digital story. In this article, we describe and analyze three salient ethical dilemmas that arose in conducting the Men of Color Health Awareness Moving Forward study DST workshops with African-American men. The dilemmas can be traced to the distinct purposes for which DST can be used, data collection or intervention development, and the trade-offs between protecting and patronizing participants. We discuss potential ways to resolve or circumvent the identified issues.

Graizbord, D., & McPike, J. (2020). Features and form: Appropriating digital storytelling for public ethnography. Ethnography, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/1466138120924428

Abstract. Ethnography may have a unique capacity to capture the attention of non-academic publics, but if it remains tied to conventional publication and dissemination strategies, this capacity will remain unrealized. This article examines the possibilities and challenges of appropriating digital storytelling for public ethnography. To do so, we consider how two key features of digital storytelling platforms—multimodality and multilinearity—can help ethnographers make public ethnography. We show how these features can be used by ethnographers to publicize and politicize ethnographic accounts and translate descriptive and theory-driven ethnography for non-traditional audiences. Making effective use of multimodality and multilinearity has practical and epistemological implications. Appropriating digital storytelling for public ethnography recasts how ethnographers use theory, create and configure ethnographic data, deploy interpretive and evaluative schema, and structure accounts. Though challenging and potentially risky, we contend that if ethnographers want to make a difference, they should experiment with making ethnography differently.

Hollinda, K., Daum, C., Rios Rincón, A. M., & Liu, L. (2023). Digital Storytelling with Persons Living with Dementia: Elements of Facilitation, Communication, Building Relationships, and Using Technology. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(5), 852-861. https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648221142015

Abstract. Digital storytelling is a process that can be used to co-create multimedia stories with persons living with dementia to affirm identity, support person-centered care, and leave a legacy. Although digital storytelling typically involves a facilitator, little is known about the co-creation process between a facilitator and persons living with dementia. This study explored and described elements of digital storytelling facilitation with persons living with dementia using a secondary analysis of qualitative data from a primary study that took place across three Canadian cities. Three elements were identified during digital storytelling facilitation with persons living with dementia: communicating, building collaborative relationships, and using technology. Digital storytelling facilitators employ the three elements to weave together a person’s narrative with meaning. The communication, relational, and technological elements of digital storytelling may be employed by facilitators from varying professional backgrounds and lived experiences to create meaningful digital stories for persons living with dementia.

Kim (김덕순), D., Park (박호룡), H.-R., & Vorobel, O. (2023). Enriching Middle School Students’ Learning Through Digital Storytelling: A Multimodal Analytical Framework. ECNU Review of Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311231182159

Abstract. This study investigates middle school students’ learning experiences through digital storytelling, applying a multimodal analytical framework to uncover patterns in digital stories. This study explores how participants engage in pedagogical activities, reflect on their learning experiences, and articulate their voices through digital stories. Employing qualitative case study methods, we purposefully selected three 12-year-old female students at an urban school in the northern US. Analyses of digital stories and other data sources (interviews, classroom observations, and reflective journals) show that the students were engaged in both teaching and reflection.

La Rose, T., & Detlor, B. (2021). Social Work Digital Storytelling Project: Digital Literacy, Digital Storytelling, and the Makerspace. Research on Social Work Practice, 31(6), 599-609. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731521992427

Abstract. The Social Work Digital Storytelling project was a research study undertaken to (1) enhance digital literacy of practitioners and students through digital storytelling training, (2) diversify engagement in a local public library technology hub (the “makerspace”), and (3) understand and enhance social work leadership knowledge among students and practitioners through the creation and sharing of leadership-focused digital stories. Free hands-on digital storytelling workshops where social workers/students created stories about leadership exposed social workers to technologies accessible in the community and provided hands-on experience using hardware (e.g., IMac computers, digital cameras, portable data recorders, and a recording booth) and software (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, I-Movie, and GarageBand) as well as online social media platforms (e.g., Flickr, YouTube, and Facebook).

Lowe SE. Rushed Decisions: Ethical Considerations for Digital Storytelling Practitioners. Health Promotion Practice. 2021;22(2_suppl):44S-49S. doi:10.1177/15248399211044714

Abstract. The American Dreaming project, a community-based participatory research study conducted in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Define American, focuses on bolstering the mental health of immigrant rights advocates between the ages of 25 and 40 years. All participants identify as undocumented or formerly undocumented and have been public with their status since 2012. Seven people were recruited for the pilot program to participate in a digital storytelling (DST) workshop. They created digital stories (videos approximately 3 minutes in duration) from a series of general story prompts about their lives. Participants also completed pre- and posttests with measures assessing change in posttraumatic stress disorder, stress, self-esteem, depression, belonging, social support, and resilience. Follow-up, semistructured workshop evaluations were gathered, and life history interviews were conducted. The project also included a strategic communications component. In this article, I outline ethical challenges faced as the goals and parameters of the project shifted while conducting a multifaceted critical narrative intervention. The key lesson learned was to make space, prior to the DST workshop, for establishing and agreeing on project priorities with all stakeholders. I recommend creating a one-page memorandum of understanding that includes (1) a brief project description outlining the objectives, (2) goals listed in priority order, and (3) a decision tree to help stakeholders navigate competing interests. While DST is a powerful tool for supporting storyteller agency, working within structures of funding, support, and research can create challenges that critically complicate the narrative intervention.

Parsons, S., Kovshoff, H., Yuill, N., Glass, D., Holt, S., Ward, A., Barron, C., & Ward, R. (2023). ‘Our Stories...’: Co-Constructing Digital Storytelling Methodologies for Supporting the Transitions of Autistic Children - Study Protocol. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221145286

Abstract. The voices of autistic children and their families are routinely underestimated and overlooked in research and practice. Research is challenged methodologically in accessing the views of autistic people who, by definition, are characterised by social and communication difficulties. Consequently, many voices remain unheard and experiences undocumented. This has important implications for the validity of research that is interested in improving the life experiences of marginalised groups since the representation of those experiences is partial and dominated by research perspectives that prioritise particular kinds of evidence. This situation matters because there remains a substantial gap between research and practice such that the longer-term outcomes for autistic people across social, educational and economic indices remain poor. We argue that research can only make an impact on practice if there is a genuine commitment to gathering and understanding these different sources of evidence in ways that connect research and practice from the start. This protocol describes a methodological project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK. The ‘Our Stories’ project applies and extends a participatory Digital Stories methodology to explore the research challenge of gathering a range of views from autistic children, families, and practice in authentic ways and at points of transition. Digital Stories is an accessible and inclusive methodology that supports the sharing of views and experiences in visual, video form. We describe the rationale for, and design, of the project across four pilot studies in different contexts as well as our approach to analysis and ethics. While our project focuses on autism, the knowledge we gain is applicable to research and practice much more widely and to any voices or groups who are marginalised from the traditional ways of doing research and to any contexts of practice.

Paterno MT, Leckenby D, Pachucki MC. Challenges and Lessons Learned From Digital Storytelling With Parenting Women in Recovery. Health Promotion Practice. 2020;21(3):340-343. doi:10.1177/1524839920902751

Abstract. With the national increase in opioid use disorder among pregnant and parenting women, innovative mechanisms are being utilized to engage with mothers to build social support and promote recovery. This is particularly important in rural settings where other support systems may be limited. Digital storytelling is an interactive tool that often facilitates social connectedness among participants and may foster empowerment and community building among mothers in recovery. We conducted one digital storytelling workshop with rural mothers in recovery in 2018 to examine the feasibility of employing this method to engage with mothers in recovery in a community setting and promote social support among participants. In this article, we describe what we learned from working with the mothers to guide others considering using digital storytelling with women with opioid use disorder in future research or public health intervention projects.

Sitter, K. C., Beausoleil, N., & McGowan, E. (2020). Digital Storytelling and Validity Criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920910656

Abstract. The authors explore the validity criteria of digital storytelling when applied as a research method in Participatory Health Research. The article begins with an overview of digital storytelling as a participatory visual research method. To demonstrate the validity criteria of digital storytelling, what follows is a reflexive account of a 2-year Participatory Health Research study that used digital storytelling as a research method to investigate treatment experiences among breast cancer patients. The authors offer a suggested summary of validity criteria for digital storytelling when applied to Participatory Health Research and describe the application of participatory, intersubjective, catalytic, contextual, empathic, and ethical validity. The article concludes with a discussion about resources and distribution.

Xiao, W., Wang, X., Xia, S., & Jones, P. (2022). What Drives Creative Crowdsourcing? An Exploratory Study on the Persuasion of Digital Storytelling. Science, Technology and Society, 27(1), 23-45. https://doi.org/10.1177/09717218211025355

Abstract. Crowdsourcing enterprises increasingly seek to attract and persuade makers to contribute their creativity and wisdom through digital storytelling, however, what are the effective components of digital storytelling and the persuasive effect of digital storytelling on creative crowdsourcing intention are still unclear. To fill this gap, this study explores how digital storytelling persuades makers to generate creative crowdsourcing behavioural intention by utilising Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Results reveal that the persuasion activity of digital storytelling has a positive effect on creative crowdsourcing intention. The effective components of digital storytelling are mainly composed of aesthetic perception, narrative structure and self-reference. UTAUT and its four core concepts (performance expectation, effort expectation, social influence and facilitating condition) mediate the impact of digital storytelling on the creative crowdsourcing intention, which reveals the persuasive source of digital storytelling. We highlight the theoretical implications as well as the practical applications in creative crowdsourcing.

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References

Cersosimo, G., (2019). Digital Storytelling, In P. Atkinson, S. Delamont, A. Cernat, J.W. Sakshaug, & R.A. Williams (Eds.), SAGE Research Methods Foundations. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526421036853253

Coghlan, D., & Brydon-Miller, M. (2014). Digital storytelling. In The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research (Vol. 2, pp. 267-270). SAGE Publications Ltd, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446294406

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