Analyzing arts-based data was one of the biggest challenges in community-based arts-based research: what counts as data was unclear, conventional textual analyses dominated, and researcher-led versus participant-led interpretation each risked stereotyping¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2017 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Researchers struggled with what counts as data (art products, process, or interview transcripts) and mostly remained close to traditional textual analysis such as thematic and content analysis. → Sara Coemans 2017 q2 i? Leaving interpretation entirely to participants risks stereotyping and overgeneralizing, while researcher-led formal analysis can also produce a fixed perspective and stereotyping. → Sara Coemans 2017 (2)

Evidence¶

Sara Coemans 2017¶

Sara Coemans, Karin Hannes. (2017). Researchers Under the Spell of the Arts: Two Decades of Using Arts-Based Methods in Community-Based Inquiry with Vulnerable Populations. Educational Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2017.08.003

q2 · i? · review · r2

Narrative synthesis of limitations across the 131 studies. In photography studies thematic analysis (n = 23), constant comparative analysis (n = 9), content analysis (n = 8) and group analysis (n = 8) were mostly used; a visual analysis was performed in only four studies, and many photo and theatre studies did not or vaguely reported analytical procedures.

"It appears that researchers were often struggling how to analyze the data. Researchers described how they were overwhelmed with the amount of data generated"

Sara Coemans 2017 (2)¶

Sara Coemans, Karin Hannes. (2017). Researchers Under the Spell of the Arts: Two Decades of Using Arts-Based Methods in Community-Based Inquiry with Vulnerable Populations. Educational Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2017.08.003

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review contrasts two analytical practices found in the literature: some researchers left interpretation ultimately to participants, while others enacted a formal analysis to organize the data in a presentable way; both practices carry risks as quoted.

"On the one hand, there is the danger of stereotyping and overgeneralizing when interpretation is left completely up to participants and/or the audience (Lee & De Finney, 2005). On the other hand, there are limitations in how the researcher can interpret what is observable."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Arts-based methods in community-based research with vulnerable populations grew steadily in use from 1993 to 2013, with 90% of the 131 reviewed studies published between 2004 and 2013 — related
• Arts-based methods in community-based research raise specific ethical challenges around anonymity, ownership, representation and emotions, alongside practical limits of time, training and cost — related
• Researchers adopt arts-based methods in community-based inquiry to challenge language-oriented methods, reduce power imbalances, give voice to vulnerable participants, engage hard-to-verbalize issues, motivate participation, and reach wider audiences — related
• Reported strengths of arts-based methods include participant-driven engagement, personal, institutional and audience transformation, and richer data than traditional interviews, but few studies evaluated these outcomes — related
• Photography was the most popular visual art form, theatre the most used performing art form, and poetry the most used literary art form in community-based arts-based research, with 64% of studies combining multiple art genres — related
• The ontology and specificity of the representational scheme used are crucial factors, defining what can be expressed and how much room for interpretation remains — related