Audiovisual Methods in Human Geography
Summary
Audiovisual methods in human geography encompass a suite of approaches that integrate visual and auditory media into the study of spatial processes, place-making and social relations. By harnessing photography, videography, sound recording and digital mapping, researchers can capture the sensory, emotional and embodied dimensions of human experience that traditional textual analysis often overlooks. These methods range from participatory video and photovoice—where community members co-produce narratives—to soundscape analysis, which maps acoustic environments in urban and rural settings. Advances in mobile devices, drone footage, 360-degree imaging and immersive virtual reality have broadened the methodological toolkit, enabling scholars to document and analyse phenomena such as migration routes, everyday mobilities, environmental change and cultural performances. Audiovisual techniques foster reflexivity, as researchers must attend to framing, editing and ethical considerations in representation. They also support collaborative and public-facing scholarship, informing policy, outreach and community empowerment. Across diverse contexts—from mapping flood-prone regions through audio-visual diaries to exploring urban youth cultures via street video ethnography—these methods reveal the complex interplay between material environments, human agency and mediated forms of knowledge.
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Audiovisual Methods in Human Geography publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in audiovisual methods in human geography across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Photovoice: A participatory method where participants use photographs to record and reflect upon community issues.
Video ethnography: The systematic use of video recording to observe and analyse social interactions in situ.
Soundscape: The acoustic environment mapped and studied to understand spatial and cultural meanings of sound.
Participatory mapping: Collaborative creation of maps by community members to represent territorial knowledge and lived experiences.
Multimodal analysis: Analytical framework that examines how different semiotic modes (visual, auditory, textual) interact to produce meaning.
References
- Geography crosses media: an approach for multi-skilling students in higher education. Journal of Geography in Higher Education (2024).
- Towards a multimethod approach for film geography: a case study of Los Angeles’ Nate Starkman Building. GeoJournal (2022).
- Audiovisual geographies: past and future approaches.. Territoire en Mouvement (2023).
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