Lee Parker

Photo-elicitation represents a major strand of visual research methodology that has been little employed in the contemporary and historical accounting and management research genres. This paper offers an exploration of the methodological dimensions and potential of photo-elicitation, particularly as a historical research tool for archival, oral and critical historians. It reveals the potential for contextualised, interpretive and critical discovery offered through photo-elicitation’s foundations in anthropology, ethnography and visual sociology.

The prospect of peeling back of hidden layers and voices is significantly enhanced by the introduction of photo-elicitation, which offers empowerment not only through the visual triggering of memory but through the negotiation and construction of images themselves. The prospect of more direct access to organisational and personal experience and context is accompanied by new understandings of multiple voices and fresh narratives. Together, these promise potential insights from the particular to the societal.