Using comic format to make research more accessible

Social research is purposive, persuading readers of the significance of its claims to bring about change. Yet, it is often presented in journal article format – a form that can exclude a general audience. How then do social researchers reach these people? How does research achieve its purpose if it is not accessible to all?

Now more than ever, the public are engaging with image-text media. Social media is an example of this, with platforms such as Instagram estimated to have as many as 1.8 billion users worldwide by 2028, according to Statista. Comic literature has long adopted this image-text method as a means of conveying messages and telling stories. It is a well-established medium used to present short, sharp narratives and despite often being associated with superheroes, comics have also been used for educating wider audiences on important political and social issues. 

While comic literature can offer a solution to inaccessible research, translating findings to comic format requires a degree of creativity. It is not a straightforward task, and not all research will be an appropriate fit (exploratory research that focuses on participants’ lived experiences works well). However, this guide offers practical insights to help researchers navigate the process.

Develop the story

As a researcher translating your research into comic book format, you may be tempted to take creative licence. While this may help you present an engaging story, taking too much creative licence, if any at all, risks diluting your research findings with fiction. 

A good place to start when developing an accurate story from your research findings is to create key events within your narrative that centre around the themes in your findings. You may need to go back to your raw data for additional insight. A second look at your transcripts will often uncover previously unnoticed data you can use to ground your narrative and develop other areas of your story that your original findings cannot. Then, I recommend you create a storyboard that depicts the scenes you intend to use.

Regardless of your approach to story development, be aware that this part of the process can be tedious. Depicting social research findings in comic format does not always allow for the traditional beginning-middle-end structure. However, a properly developed story (and detailed storyboard) is the foundation of your comic and will help ensure validity while providing a roadmap for the remainder of the process. 

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To draw or not to draw?

Artistic ability is no longer a prerequisite to comic making. There is a variety of software and apps available to help you with the process of creating cartoon-style images. You can still draw your comic if you so wish, however this can be time consuming and impractical.

If, like me, you are artistically inept, I recommend the following steps:

1. Recruit some actors: family/friends will do if they are happy with being featured in your work
2. Set up and photograph the scenes to be featured in your comic. Refer to your storyboard to guide you here
3. Transform your images to cartoon format – this can be achieved using filters in Adobe Photoshop, or using Clip2Comic in iOS.

Comic literature tells much of the story through image. Therefore, your scenes will require a high degree of thought and creativity. Props, surroundings and actors’ body language and facial expressions all impact the story being told, and these are often exaggerated in comic literature to emphasise significant elements of the narrative. Following this advice, and the process listed above, will give you a bank of comic scenes that depict your research-informed story, at which point you will be ready to start putting together your comic.

Construct the comic

The construction process will see your work start to come to life but can often be the most challenging part. This is because you must now combine your images with appropriate text to present a story that is engaging, clear, synthesised and accurate. Your format must also be aligned with the traditions of comic literature, presented in a way that meets reader expectations. 

I recommend following these steps:

1. Choose an existing comic that will inform your layout and guide your structure
2. Use Microsoft Word to create your own comic layout templates. Comic book pages often present images in a variety of sizes on each page. You can achieve the same by using the “shapes” feature then filling the shapes with your images
3. Use textboxes to add your narrative to images. Remember to keep this short and sharp
4. Use speech bubbles to illustrate character speech
5. Spend time creating an enticing front cover. As your “shop window”, it should capture attention and invite people in to find out more.

Be aware that you can often be too close to the project to make impartial judgements at this stage. Ask a friend or colleague to read your final draft. Do they think your comic is engaging? Is the narrative clearly presented and well structured? Does it offer an accurate depiction of the original research findings? If the answer is yes, then it is time to send it to print! 

In his book Research Methods in Education, Louis Cohen suggests that researchers set out with individual rationale, intending to impact their field. To achieve this, research must be accessible and appealing to diverse audiences, not just academic audiences. In the right circumstances, and despite the challenges, comic literature can be a powerful tool for conveying research findings by making them inclusive, engaging and easy to digest. 

Chris Johnson is a lecturer in business and management at the University of Chester.

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