In 2012, I was planning to tackle the subject of arguably the “worst” of the online nightmare audiences for my PhD project, aiming to study young people’s perceptions and experiences with online predators (Murumaa-Mengel, 2015). Knowing that face-to-face interviews could become stressful and awkward if carried out in the traditional question-answer format with rigid researcher-participant roles, I was seeking a method that would give participants editorial control, the opportunity to sort their thoughts in peace, have time for expressing themselves, and collaborate in the interpretation of the data. This short article is based on my experiences in exploring the potential of creative research methods (CRMs) in the context of sensitive topics. Visual abstract is available HERE.

The episode is based on this academic publication: Murumaa-Mengel, M. (2022). Visual creative research methods and young people’s perceptions of online risks. In: S. Kotilainen (Ed.), Methods in practice: Studying children and youth online (chapter 8). CO:RE Network.