Innovative Digital Technologies and Visual Methods for Social Research

Organised by:  Petra Lackova, Dominic Duckett, Emily Hastings, Katrina Brown, Tavis Potts, Lee-Ann Sutherland, the Social, Economic and Geographical  Sciences Group of the James Hutton Institute

Digital technologies and visual research methods are transforming social research and opening up possibilities for new ways of imagining and engaging with the social world. Innovation in both the collection and analysis of data is enabling the unprecedented exploration of multidimensional forms of social life. Computational advances have led to increases in scale with ‘big' and real-time data and making them more available at ever decreasing cost. By crossing the boundaries between disciplines and qualitative and quantitative methodologies, visual methods and digital technologies are contributing to developments in theoretical thinking and practice in social sciences. The deployment of creative methodologies is further shaping new forms of engagement between social scientists and participants, redefining the roles of ‘researcher' and ‘researched'. Against this backdrop, there is a need for social research perspectives to understand how to ground innovative technologies and computer-aided approaches in robust methodologies and sound social theories.

This interactive event will bring together researchers who use visual methods and digital technologies to capture and engage with social life. The workshop will combine speed presentations with posters and provide a unique opportunity to practice using state of the art technologies through demonstrations and practical sessions. We invite abstracts (of 250 words) that reflect on and open a critical discussion around emergent technologies and visual methods in social research.

Abstracts for posters and lightning talks are sought from participants on the following topics:

• The potential and methodological challenges of visual methods and digital technologies for studying contemporary issues and practising critical analysis in social research.
• Deploying visual and digitalised methods (e.g. photo elicitation, eye tracking, touchtables, headcams, participatory video, virtual reality headsets) and their effect on the ways in which the environment is experienced and interpreted.
• The ethics of visual and digital methods (e.g. who consents? whose data?)
• The uses of digital public engagement and collaborative tools (e.g. participatory GIS mapping) in providing shared platforms for local knowledge exchanges or facilitating discussions around cultural values in decision making.
• Human and non-human participants as effective co-constructers of research (e.g. through digital or mobile ethnography; livestock electronic identification (EID)).
• Big data, real-time data, computational content analysis: using new the latest techniques to respond to pressing issues in social research.
• GIS for participatory mapping; GPS; apps; ipads; drones; games based software; mobile or participatory video; mobile physiology and eye-tracking devices; monitoring tools.

Presentations are optional for participants.  Abstracts will be included the programme for the ESRS congress, and two page papers submitted by 1 May 2015 will be included in the congress proceedings. 

Logistics: The event will run on Monday August 17 and Tuesday August 18 at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen.  Transport will be provided to the ESRS congress opening ceremonies on August 18.  As a precongress workshop, an additional charge of £85 for academics and £65 for students will be payable through the ESRS registration system.  Abstracts can be submitted through the electronic submissions system for the ESRS Congress.

Schedule for the Workshop

Monday August 17

10:00 am: Welcome

10:15 am: Keynote Speaker  - Eric Laurier (University of Edinburgh): Using video in social research

11:15 am: Lightning talks (five-minute presentations on accepted abstracts)

12:30 pm: Lunch provided

1:30 pm: ‘Hands on’ session – opportunities for participants to collect data with digital or visual technologies and practice data analysis under expert guidance

Parallel sessions on

• participatory video
• minicam
• touchtable
• virtual reality headset
• drone technologies

3:30pm: Coffee break

4:00 pm: Keynote speaker  - Using drones in social research

5:00pm: Close

7:00 pm: Optional evening meal with the ESRS executive committee

Tuesday August 18

9:00 am: Welcome

9:15 am: Keynote speaker – Mobile methods in social research

10:45 am: Coffee break

11:45 am: Guided poster presentations

1:15 pm: Lunch provided

2:00 pm: Depart for University of Aberdeen (opening ceremony of ESRS 2015)