Visual Content Analysis as an Interpretive Method: A Social Constructionist Approach
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article examines visual content analysis as a qualitative method within a social constructionist framework. While content analysis is widely used to identify patterns in communication, its application to visual data is methodologically diverse and often based on quantitative traditions. Drawing on social constructionism, the article conceptualizes visual content analysis as an interpretive method in which meanings are constructed through interactions between the researcher and the material. To improve the interpretive capacity of visual content analysis, the article employs analytical tools from compositional analysis and social semiotic analysis. The approach is illustrated through examples from analyses of media images and participatory draw-and-tell designs. The findings illustrate how this extended approach to content analysis enables nuanced interpretations of visually constructed meanings. This article contributes to the literature by situating visual content analysis within a social constructionist framework and illustrating its potential for analyzing complex visual phenomena across diverse research contexts.
Source: Qualitative Inquiry
Author: Jari Martikainen
Institution: University of Eastern Finland
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,900
OpenAlex ID: W7225740459