Biographical Collage as a Tool in Inuit Community-Based Participatory Research and Capacity Development

• Published in: International Journal of Qualitative Methods
• Main Authors: S. Dutton, C. M. Davison, M. Malla, S. Bartels, K. Collier, K. Plamondon, E. Purkey
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2019
• Subjects: Social sciences (General); H1-99; inuit
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919877307; https://doaj.org/article/acbe0af5a82e4936985edcb7b04b57cb

As a method in arts-based qualitative research, the collage technique has been previously utilized for data generation, elicitation, analysis, and presentation of results. Collage has also been used as a self-reflective, development exercise within community-based research due to its abstract and creative self-exploratory style. Although previously used in research with a variety of populations, there is limited evidence of applying the collage technique with First Nation, Inuit, or Métis peoples, even though many other arts-based methods, such as photovoice, have been used. This article describes the use of biographical collage as part of a community-based research project in a northern Canadian Inuit community. The technique was used as an exercise for building leadership capacity, as an elicitation technique in cross-cultural qualitative interviews, and as a decolonizing process in community-based participatory research. With the description of an in-depth example, this article showcases many benefits of using the collage technique when engaging in cross-cultural community-based research with Inuit.