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VISUAL METHODOLOGIES: AN INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCHING WITH VISUAL MATERIALS 4th EDITION Gillian Rose (2016) London: Sage. pp. 432. £32.99 (pbk) ISBN 978-1-4739-4890-7
VISUAL, NARRATIVE AND CREATIVE RESEARCH METHODS: APPLICATION, REFLECTION AND ETHICS Dawn Manney (2016) Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 152. £29.99 (pbk) ISBN 978-1-138-02432-8
Visual methods are not greatly used in the study of crime, although arguably they have a great deal to offer criminological researchers, particularly those interested in drawing out new and fresh accounts of individual experiences. Gillian Rose's classic text, now in its fourth edition, is, of course, a broad introductory sweep across the field, while Dawn Mannay focuses rather more on participatory approaches and the creation of images and personal narratives. The two complement each other in interesting ways and certainly together, along with the work of Claudia Mitchell (2011), should hugely advance the case for the use of visual methods in the social sciences and humanities.
What is immediately apparent from both texts is that 'visual research' refers to a wide range of approaches and techniques from simple drawing to reviews of mass images available on line. The focus of interest may vary as well, and Rose takes the reader through research examples involving the reaction to visual materials, analysis of found images, and dominant discourses (in this case with particular reference to museums, art galleries and their visitors). Indeed she sets out a critical visual methodology across 4 sites relating to production, the image itself (for example, its intended meaning), its circulation and what she terms 'audiencing'. The model is further refined by overlaying three different aspects...