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1Introduction15the conceptual framework, the research sub-questions will be introduced. This introduction will be followed by an overview of the methods used in the empirical chapters and an outline of the dissertation.1.4 Conceptual framework: three aspects of visual meaning-makingBefore introducing my approach to answering the research question and the conceptual framework that I developed, I explain my use of the term policy controversy. I use this term to denote a conflict, developed or emerging, in which ‘groups of citizens, civil society groups, governments and/or companies manifest the belief that they have incompatible objectives with regard to a technology or policy option’ (Cuppen, 2018, p. 28). In a policy controversy, there is not simply a dispute about the data; rather, the issue is understood through competing frames (Dodge & Lee, 2017; Durnová & Hejzlarová, 2022; Schön & Rein, 1994; Verhoeven & Metze, 2022). Frames are ‘structures of belief, perception, and appreciation’ (Schön & Rein, 1994, p. 23). In science and technology-related controversies, where there are disagreements about what knowledge is considered certain or uncertain and what the points of contention are (Rip, 1986), framing and the meaning different people give to the policy issue are central (Schön & Rein, 1994; Wagenaar, 2015).An interpretive approach is taken to answer the question: ‘What meanings do visualisations convey in policy controversies over energy and food technologies?’ An interpretive approach seeks to understand ‘socially constructed meaning(s) within and across groups’, and by collecting and analysing data on the different points of view in society, it produces deep insights into societal practices (Appe & Dodge, 2022, p. 1157). An interpretive policy analysis, in particular, leads to an analysis that is aware of the consequences of the policy to a range of relevant publics (Yanow, 2000). These relevant publics may share a set of values, beliefs and feelings – reflected in shared thought, speech, practice and their meanings – and form ‘interpretive communities’ (Yanow, 2000, p. 10). Considering the use of visualisations as a societal practice employed by various interpretive communities, in this thesis, I aim to reveal the meanings different publics give to contested policy issues by using visualisations, with the goal of having a deep understanding of the social phenomena of using visualisations in policy controversies.Efrat.indd 15 19-09-2023 09:47