Photo-elicitation is an interview technique where researchers solicit responses, reactions, and insights from participants by using photographs or other images as stimuli. Though not new, the use of images within criminology is an underused technique. My aim is to discuss the value of using PEI in research on crime and justice by drawing on my experiences from an eighteen-month long photo-ethnography of people living in rural America who use methamphetamine. I demonstrate the benefits and challenges of using photo elicitation interviews with vulnerable individuals, by considering themes such as representation, empowerment and emotionality. Additionally, I highlight the practical and ethical issues that confront researchers who incorporate the visual into their research.
Heith Copes is a professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His primary research agenda uses qualitative methods to examine criminal decision-making and narrative identity. He has published over 80 refereed journal articles in journals such as British Journal of Criminology, Criminology, European Journal of Criminology, Justice Quarterly, and Social Problems. He has been a visiting scholar and speaker at universities across the United States and Europe, including the University of South Wales, Aalborg University, University of Oslo, and the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research at Aarhus University. In 2014, he received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Southern Criminal Justice Association. He also received the 2017 Ireland Award for Scholarly Distinction from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His recent research includes a photo-ethnography of people who use methamphetamine in rural Alabama.