Collaborating in Visual Consumer Research

Abstract

Collaborative research is both a pragmatic and a moral choice for the ethnographic consumer researcher. It often produces better insights as well as strives to overcome issues of representation in anthropology. This review looks at both traditional collaborations and collaborations enabled by digital technologies, with a focus on visual collaborative methods, benefits, and difficulties. I review a variety of such consumer research methods and contexts involving the co-production of meaning with research participants. And I consider the issues facing ethnographers in attempting to engage their audiences in a visually compelling manner with the spirit of openness and transparency that is inherent in such research.