An Unorthodox Interpretive Approach in Information Systems Research: A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

In this paper we make the case of using photographs as a source of data for interpretive research in the information systems field, especially for ethnographic accounts. We treat photographs as knowledge objects and examine the richness of content and context they offer. Based on experiences from anthropology and sociology, we contend that photographs should be used along with other sources of data, not only during the analysis stage but also be included in the conventional written report. We analyze the researcher’s role along three moments of research: during the fieldwork as an image maker, during the analysis stage as an image analyzer and during the writing up as an image presenter. A study on the transmission of information and use of computers in rural communities in Peru is used to explain the use of photographs along these moments of research.