Illustrative Storytelling and Social Sciences: Reconsidering Boundaries, Extensions, and Meanings of Qualitative Research

Authors

Veronica Moretti, Department of Sociology and Business Law, University of Bologna, Italy Department of Philosophy and Cultural HeritageFollow
Francesco Della Puppa, Department of Sociology and Business Law, University of Bologna, Italy Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Comics are increasingly recognized as a flexible and multimodal medium capable of eliciting, constructing, analyzing, and disseminating qualitative data. Far from being merely illustrative or humorous, comics offer complex visual-narrative forms that can reflect and critique social realities, stimulate reflexivity, and engage diverse audiences. This approach highlights the scientific, ethical, and epistemological implications of using comics in research, particularly in relation to representation, positionality, and the visual construction of meaning. Comics can serve as tools for pedagogy, public sociology, and participatory inquiry, especially in areas such as health, gender, and digital cultures. From autoethnography and zine-making to the co-production of illness narratives, comics-based research encourages an inclusive, affective, and visually literate rethinking of qualitative inquiry. By situating comics within broader debates on methodological innovation, this perspective invites scholars to embrace the transformative potential of graphic storytelling in the social sciences.

Keywords

comics, graphic storytelling, comics-based research, ethnographic-research

Author Bio(s)

Veronica Moretti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Business Law at the University of Bologna, where she also serves as Director of the First Cycle Degree Program in Sociology. She is a member of the University’s Bioethics Committee and a founding member and Vice President of Graphic Medicine Italia, an association that promotes the use of graphic novels and comics in healthcare contexts.

Francesco Della Puppa (Ph.D.), is Associate Professor in Sociology at the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. He carries out research and teaching activities on topics such as international migration; migrant family and the process of family reunification; social construction of masculinity and migration; digital work and Gig Economy, migrant labour; the Bangladeshi diaspora.

Publication Date

4-13-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8162

Recommended APA Citation

Moretti, V., & Della Puppa, F. (2025). Illustrative storytelling and social sciences. Reconsidering boundaries, extensions, and meanings of qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 30(4), 3431-3437. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.8162