Validity, Reliability and The Journalistic Image as Visual Sociology

Validity:
It is important to be able to rely on the conclusions deducted from a piece of research therefore the validity of the research must be examined in order to assess the integrity of these findings. The question; does this study really measure the concept/ idea, what it sets out to measure?; Should be asked at the start of a study. There are several measures of validity that can affect the integrity of the findings, such as; face validity; is the concept being measured directly reflected within the pictures, concurrent validity; is the concept being measured, the right concept, Predictive validity; would look at the future of the concept being measured, construct validity; the hypothesis or deduction made from a measure or concept (before the research is conducted) and lastly the convergent validity; the comparison of data through different methods of the same study. Although not all of these measures of validity (predictive validity) can be applied to the method of visual sociology, they are important considerations when conducting any form of research (Prosser; 2006; pp 151-158 & Bryman; 2004; pp 28-30 & pp 62-74).

Reliability:
This refers to the findings of a research study and is used to assess whether the findings of the study can be repeated (if the study was replicated: would the results be the same?). There are three main factors in the consideration of reliability; stability, internal reliability and inter-observer consistency. Stability refers to the concept that the results would be the same if the research was conducted a second time. Internal reliability is concerned with the concept being investigated and whether this concept is the same in each group or observation, and lastly Inter-observer reliability is concerned with the relationship between the researcher and the material gathered. The way in which the material is sorted or categorised and the subjective analysis of the material (Prosser; 2006; pp 151-158 & Bryman; 2004; pp 28-30 & pp 62-74).

Within Visual sociology, both reliability and validity are an important considerations when choosing a topic to study; questions about the research topic and the concept to be investigated, using samples to see if the method is adequate in measuring the concept, how this is to be measured (through observation by researcher or designated representatives), the method chosen to observe the subject; i.e. camera photography, video, the use of pictures already available (pictures taken by other, family photos, CCTV video/ pictures, “you tube” clips etc), and the way in which the observation is conducted; by random photography, constant surveillance (video or camera), the relationship between the subject and the researcher (either through direct or indirect observation), the contextual dimensions, the shutter speed, ‘set-up’ of the pictures (natural or forced), the analysis of what pictures are taken (how, where, when and of what), which pictures are used for the research project, how they are displayed and the text (if any) to accompany the data. Howard S. Becker argues that reliability and validity can be assessed in the range of images and the amount of access the researcher is allowed to a particular event, in order to assess the concept that is being measured. This is so that the researcher has the capacity to recount the findings of an event or ritual as the truth (Prosser; 2006; pp 29 & pp 151-158 & Bryman; 2004; pp 28-30 & pp 62-74).

The Journalistic Image as Visual Sociology:
Images within the mass media are taken as supporting evidence of a news commentary or are the reason behind the news article. The pictures are viewed within a specific context, however out of context they may appear meaningless or could be interpreted in other ways. The photographic evidence is usually accompanied with a large piece of written text outlining the background to the story or the context in which the picture was taken. The visual images, when part of a series of supporting documentation in the form of images or other sources, could be made into a documentary. This documentary would outline certain aspects of the same ritual and use journalistic images as the core evidence to support a particular time frame or event. The use of the journalistic image within sociology could be an integral part of research conducted over a period of time. News images of important events are particularly significant when investigating trends or actions within the history of society. When analysing the social aspects of a particular culture, journalistic images can be extremely useful not only in providing visual images of the specific concept, but also in the investigation of societies attitude at a particular time, as the images captured will show what was considered relevant or newsworthy by both the media and public opinion. The journalistic image captures the rituals that are culturally, nationally and internationally relevant, as well as being a good source of material both historically and contemporary, when investigating a concept over time. The journalistic image therefore, rather than being limited to the mass media, can be used within the field of images within documentaries or within the field of sociology as an important source of information (Prosser; 2006; pp 93).

References:

Bryman, A (2004) “Social Research Methods: second edition”; Oxford University Press; Oxford.
Prosser, J (2006) “Image-based Research: A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers”; RoutledgeFalmer; New York.