Uncovering the Voices of Marginalized Minorities in Public Policy Research - A Critical Review of the Image and Text-Based Vignette Method

The voices of the marginalized and vulnerable groups, i.e., the sexual minorities, the underprivileged, and the victims of abusive/unfair treatment, are often neglected and understudied in policy research due to their social sensitiveness. Researchers may face difficulties accessing the data. Thus, they are unable to uncover the hidden truth. This qualitative study protocol suggests using images or text-based vignettes in social science research, which enable researchers to collect participants’ confidential thoughts and help participants feel safe enough to share their untold stories. We showcase how to effectively design a real-life vignette, recruit potential participants, and gather and report diverse respondents’ views by protecting their identity, in essence, internal and external confidentiality. The vignette method contributes to public policy study by addressing the common issues of marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as insufficient data for further analysis.