Discussion of photo-elicitation: an ethno-historical accounting and management research prospect

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate Professor Lee D. Parker's call for the use of photo-elicitation (P-E) in qualitative accounting and management research projects. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews relevant literature and previous P-E-based studies, discusses Professor Parker's paper in detail, and describes the strengths, concerns, and opportunities of P-E research. Findings – This paper identifies the unique complexities that P-E-based research engenders and alerts researchers to the fact that P-E may not be the most appropriate method when research questions are primarily concerned with uncovering the ethnography of institutions rather than the perceptions of informants. It concludes that while opportunities for P-E research abound, researchers must be certain that P-E is the most appropriate method to generate data. Originality/value – This paper examines an under-researched procedure, identifies relevant related studies, and should help intending and existing scholars to evaluate the procedure.Oral-history, Photographs, Qualitative research