Visual Research Methods in Arts Administration: Incorporating Photo Elicitation

Elise Lael Kieffer, Ph.D.
Program Director and Assistant Professor
Nonprofit Leadership Studies
Organizational Communication and Leadership
Murray State University

This book explores the benefits of incorporating the photo-elicitation method into interviews within arts and cultural administration, leadership, and management research.

For the qualitative researcher, photographs open pathways to richer understandings of experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions of study participants. This book explored the benefits of incorporating the photo-elicitation method into interviews within arts and cultural administration, leadership, and management research. Within the arts and culture, researchers often use terminology that doesn’t resonate with arts and creative practitioners. It shows how photo-elicitation serves to bridge these gaps, opening research participants up to opportunities for deeper reflection. Providing in-depth, multidisciplinary guidance on photo elicitation as a significant visual research method is valuable reading for arts administration researchers to create inclusive and collaborative research environments with research participants.

Visual Research Methods in Arts Administration will be a useful guide for scholars interested in incorporating photo elicitation into their social science research. It is also valuable for educators and students within the qualitative research space.

Dr. Elise Lael Kieffer (Program Director and Assistant Professor) came to Murray State University in 2021 to serve as program director of the Nonprofit Leadership Studies academic programs and also as the Director of the Nonprofit Resource Center. Specializing in Rural Arts Management, Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Management, and Rural Nonprofit Development, Dr. Kieffer is dedicated to advancing the sustainability and impact of nonprofit organizations in rural communities, ultimately seeking to improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work. In recognition of her contributions to the field, Dr. Kieffer was named a Murray State University Emerging Scholar in 2024. She is the author of Routledge Rural Arts Management (2024), a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and opportunities in managing arts organizations in rural settings. She is published widely in American Journal of Arts Management, Journal of Nonprofit Innovation, and others. Her professional experience ranges from on the ground building an organization from the ground up to consulting with international nonprofit organizations with global reach. Dr. Kieffer holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre performance, a Masters in Public Administration with a certificate in nonprofit management, and a PhD in arts administration with a certificate in program evaluation. Her diverse educational background combined with varied work experiences create a pedagogical and professional emphasis on communication, collaboration, and pragmatism. She emphasizes impactful, experiential learning in her classroom. Beyond academia, Dr. Kieffer is passionate about fostering community engagement through the arts and enjoys practicing yoga as a way to stay balanced and inspired.