Practical Ethics in a Visual Age: Ontology, Methodology, and a Duty of Care

Using visual artifacts to collect, analyze, and present data is of growing interest. Distinctive ethical questions have emerged in recent years that oblige researchers to consider additional responsibilities when reproducing images of others or creating their own. This chapter seeks to organize some ethical issues associated with visual scholarship. I begin by revisiting the use of different kinds of images in the social sciences and reconsider the role of ethics in social science research based on emergent critiques. I apply these by considering the challenges associated with integrating ethics within visual research, including ontological questions, epistemological issues, and methodological concerns. Building on previous work, I conclude by considering a “duty of care” in visual research and assessing some implications for participants, communities, and researchers.