This paper responds to calls for greater clarity about the application of
theory and method in research on mediated communication about
climate-change. Specifically, it identifies conceptual and methodological
challenges for researching visual representations of climate change. We
suggest current research is impeded by a lack of methodological
explication and an unclear relationship between theories of visual
meaning and the application of social science methods such as content
analysis and frame analysis. As a first step towards addressing these
issues, we review existing research to identify the methodological
procedures that require explication in order to support the replication of
studies and the comparison of findings. We then draw on the seminal
work of Roland Barthes to examine how theories of visual meaning may
be integrated into social-scientific research methods. Specifically, we
demonstrate how Barthes’ concepts of denotation, connotation and
mythology may be related to research concerns about the selection of
visual content, the classification of image frames, audience responses,
and analyses of ideological meaning. The conclusion highlights further
possibilities for developing a robust form of visual analysis that meets
the standards of social scientific research while addressing the
fundamental insights about visual meaning derived from cultural
theories of meaning.