Use of photography in qualitative research in the health area: scoping review

Abstract

This is a scoping review of which objective was to identify and to map the use of photography as a data collection technique in qualitative research in the health area. The research was guided by the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute and presented according to the recommendations of PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. Qualitative studies in the health area that used photography as a data collection technique were included. In December 2018, data were collected from 12 databases, including articles, dissertations and theses. The data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. The final sample consisted of 138 studies, published between 2001 and 2018, from 21 countries. Articles written by nursing researchers predominated in the sample. The main data collection techniques included photovoice, photo-elicitation and photography, mainly through the participation of adults and children. It was concluded that the main benefits of the photographic method are related to the encouragement of reflection and creativity, the break with formality during the interviews, the capture of subjective impressions and meanings and the strengthening of the participants’ engagement in the research.

Key words:
Qualitative research; Health sciences; Photography