Table 1 Advantages of using visual and sound methods to engage patients and community members in research

1

Promotes the involvement of the people concerned even when the concepts are complex

2

Helps to communicate and reflect on sensitive subjects or those for which words are difficult to find

3

Captures aspects of people's everyday lives that would not be as effectively revealed by other research methods that require literacy skills (e.g., questionnaire) or that may be perceived as impersonal (e.g., survey) or intimidating (e.g., interview)

4

Facilitates the re-creation of sensory and emotional events or perceptions

5

Provides an opportunity for people to show how they feel about the experience they are having

6

Empowers the people directly involved to collect the data and report the results

7

Promotes people's reflexivity about their experience, helps them communicate this experience and build their own narrative

8

Allows individuals to develop/reinforce the belief that they are competent to communicate their experience

9

Creates links and helps with dialogue between partners and researchers

10

Leads to a shared understanding between partners and researchers

11

Generates results that partners can relate to

12

Allows partners to take ownership of the results and makes them accountable for the research findings

13

Instead of feeling like objects that are analyzed or from which data are drawn, partners become active co-creators of knowledge

14

Enables partners to advocate positions that can benefit other marginalized people