Visual Journaling for Research
by Janet Salmons, PhD Research Community Manager for SAGE Methodspace
Dr. Salmons is the author of Doing Qualitative Research Online, which includes guidance for using creative methods for doing research online.
Not all visual research communication aims to reach others. Sometimes we use visuals for our own purposes, including drawing, sketching, painting, collaging, or otherwise illustrating a research journal. Research journals can serve many purposes:
Janet thinks about journaling for creative self-care.
to record field or observation notes,
for self-care and creative expression,
for reflective and reflexive purposes, and/or
to plan and manage research or projects.
Last year I interviewed Dr. Nicole Brown about her inventive approach to collecting data with creative interview methods. We discovered a shared passion for journaling. At the time she was completing the manuscript for a new book, Making the Most of Your Research Journal, and I was writing a book chapter, “Journaling Right and Left,” for Creative Expression and Wellbeing in Higher Education: Making and Movement as Mindful Moments of Self-care.
Nicole covers the use of research journals for varied purposes, using digital and/or analog formats. My focus is on analog art journaling. The title, “Journaling Right and Left,” suggests that we can journal for self-care, creative expression, and/or reflective/reflexive explorations as well as to plan and manage research projects.
We were excited to find an opportunity to discuss our approaches for the NVivo online conference 2021 Transcending Boundaries in Qualitative Research, we recorded the presentation posted below. The all-online NVivo Conference allowed attendees to join leading researchers from around the globe to meet, learn and network with peers and experts. The annual conferences allow you to customize your learning and networking experience by selecting from over 70 hours of programming available live on the day of the event and on-demand for 90 days following the event. For more information, click here.
Related Open-Access Resources
A podcast on fieldnotes: Episode 3.
Upcoming free webinars from NVivo: Analytic Memo Strategies and Reflection
Should you blog about your research? What types of academic blogs serve what purpose?