Vernacular Videos as Research Data: Audiovisual Self-Representations and the Epistemology of Social Science Knowledge Production

Abstract

In ongoing debates about the design of contemporary social science research, it is essential to address the question of what constitutes research data - the foundation of empirical inquiry. This paper focuses on audiovisual research data, exploring its history, significance, and distinctive characteristics. It presents an empirically developed systematization of this data type, with particular emphasis on videographic vernacular videos. These videos open new opportunities for knowledge production by providing accessible entry points into otherwise inaccessible social fields. Their integration into social science research also challenges the traditional distinction between data collection and analysis, as they emerge from pre-structured social, political, and media environments. The paper proposes methodological strategies to address these challenges and discusses how vernacular videos reshape epistemic practices in qualitative research. By expanding the concept of research data, it contributes to the empirical theory of science and highlights the role of audiovisual data in the evolving landscape of knowledge production.