Using photo-elicitation to understand the management of space

Lynch, P.A. and Sweeney, M. (2010) Using photo-elicitation to understand the management of space. In: British Academy of Management, 2010-09-14 - 2010-09-16, Sheffield.

Abstract

This paper discusses photo-elicitation as a method of data generation in hospitality and tourism research. The notion of employing photographs to trigger participant insight and enhance dialogue in interview settings is not novel. Since Collier's (1967) seminal work, photo-elicitation has been used in qualitative research across a number of disciplines, including sociology, psychology, anthropology, ethnography, education, and community health. However, there is a poverty of research which employs the photo-elicitation technique in the disciplines of hospitality and tourism generally and, more specifically, in relation to research that explores dimensions of the commercial home, which recognises hybrid space for public as well as private spaces. In this research, photo-elicitation was carried out through 'auto-driving', in which photographs of commercial homes and hosts were taken by the researcher, which were subsequently used as a vehicle through which the participants were able to express how they manage the space within the commercial home.

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