The power of visual approaches in qualitative inquiry: The use of collage making and concept mapping in experiential research

The burgeoning interest in arts-informed research and the increasing variety of visual possibilities as a result of new technologies have paved the way for researchers to explore and use visual forms of inquiry. This paper investigates how collage making and concept mapping are useful visual approaches that can inform qualitative research. It outlines specific ways that each approach can be used with examples to illustrate how the approach informs the researcher’s experience. The two approaches are compared and contrasted and issues that can arise in the work are discussed.