How can mobile phones and photographs be used in research?

We introduce a new methodology: mobile phone visual ethnography (MpVE). MpVE is the scientific and systematic ethnographic study of behaviors and culture in a naturalistic setting. It closely aligns with many of the underlying tenets and practices represented in visual ethnography and transformative photography, but it has several distinct features (e.g. a reliance on mobile phone camera photos, the importance of mobility in the research study, a bottom-up focus on aspects of everyday life). We present valuable experiential insights for using MpVE to conduct research, including transformative research in developing and emerging economies.

Article

Mobile Phone Visual Ethnography (MpVE): Bridging Transformative Photography and Mobile Phone Ethnography

Journal

Journal of Public Policy & Marketing 

Co-authors

Akon E. Ekpo & Daniel Hogan

Winner:

AMA-EBSCO Annual Award for Responsible Research in Marketing