I am currently writing a background chapter and wondered if I could include some photos. I don't "need" them but I think it might make the chapter a bit more interesting - or maybe it's just me that's got a short attention span. :$ I'll ask my supervisor but thought I would get a few opinions first - can you use photos to illustrate a descriptive chapter?

I'm certainly intending to! But the photos I'll be using will be photos of the places my main study occurred in, or of (unidentifiable) study subjects doing stuff, so directly related to my own study rather than generic pictures just to illustrate background, if you see what I mean. Not sure about just randomly including pictures otherwise. I worry that it wouldn't be seen as very professional/academic. Don't know what other people think about that?

While I take your point and agree that they probably would look nice and break up the text, if they're only there to make the chapter more interesting [looking] I would imagine your supv would veto them. It's a big 'no no' to have graphs or figures or tables without referring to them in the text; otherwise they're just padding. The same applies, I feel to photos. Unless they're integral to the text, I don't think they should be included.

If you can find a way to refer to them and justify their inclusion, go for it (up)

Interesting question. I'm not sure - but I think it'd have to relate to what you are writing about. I wonder if it would be good to include pictures in my study design, showing how the case study was conducted? Has anyone done that in the past?

Thanks - I think they would help contextualise the interviews I have as my main data so I suppose I could justify them....I think I'll run it past my supervisor.