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Visual research methods and the importance of analytical spaces

Is it possible to capture history in the making? Or does history only evolve in retrospect as we try to make sense of our experiences? We reflect on these questions, and suggest how visual research methods can be of use when trying to locate present and past events in their historical context. Our main argument is that video recordings create analytical spaces that outlive particular events, and which can be used to identify and interpret episodes of historical importance. We discuss two ways in which we have done this. First, as a ‘short loop’ method, by which we enlist our research subjects' help to interpret and contextualize ‘what is going on’ in a video clip re-viewed a few months after the event. Second, as a ‘long loop’ method of analysis, in which we revisit an old recording to find out how a discussion and decision, which several years later turned out to be of strategic importance, was understood at the time of the event. In both cases the incorporation of time into theories and theorizing is facilitated by the analytical spaces created with the help of video recordings. We end the paper by suggesting a way to combine the two methods.