Visual literacy is the ability to a. delete out-of-date content from wikis and replace with fresh content b. briefly summarize the key points of a report/proposal c. cover the most important information briefly at first and then gradually revealing successive layers of detail d. create effective images and to correctly interpret visual messages e. write effective links that serve for both navigation and content skimming

Visual literacy is the ability to​ create effective images and to correctly interpret visual messages.

When you have visual literacy, you are able to interpret, summarize, understand and negotiate information from a visual. Creating these visuals and having and understanding of their importance and how to use them in a way other people can understand is the main focus. Being literate is your ability to read and write, so visual literacy is the same understanding but grasping it from an image. 

The best sociological research method would have to be using experiments although it has some disadvantages as well