Breaking the “Fourth Wall” in Qualitative Research: Participant-Led Digital Data Construction

Abstract

The authors argue for an ontological shift in qualitative methods by intentionally “breaking the fourth wall”—the invisible divide between researchers and participants—through participant-led digital data creation (e.g., videos, photos recorded by participants during literacy events). In a qualitative case study of family literacy practices in Kazakhstan, participants’ self-recorded data disrupted traditional researcher control and co‑constructed new knowledge, amplifying participant voice and equity in methodological process. The article proposes a new multimodal, participant-driven paradigm for qualitative research grounded in socio-cultural construction and Diderot’s concept of performance and observation