Using Drawing to Generate Data: Exploring the Role and Experiences of Approved Mental Health Professionals

Visual research methods, of which drawing is one, is the shorthand term used to refer to techniques using imagery and visual tools in research. The methods are conducted in a variety of study areas including anthropology, sociology and applied social sciences. The term drawing refers to both the act of creating a picture as well as the actual picture created, and the method comes under the handmade category. First, a brief context and rationale for the research study is provided, including a precis of the underpinning methodological approach, the sampling strategy and an outline of the data generation methods used. The case then explores the literature on drawing as a research method focussing on the reasons for its use, examining the ethical, participatory and interpretive challenges and the suggestions made for ways in which these might be overcome. Finally, drawing is discussed in the context of its application in the research study exploring professional identity, from which it is derived