Research Techniques

Part 1


Qualitative Research is exploratory research. To simplify, this means it is
used when we dont know what to expect, to define the problem, or find
an approach to the problem. Quantitative Research is used to quantify the
problem, by generating data that can be transformed into statistics.

Quantitative Research

What are TV programme ratings?

TV Ratings are the amount of views a particular show gets. Nielson Media
Research is the main company in charge of measuring the amounts of
viewers a tvor network gets for America and Canada. They then make the
statistics available to the networks, advertisers, and the meadia. nielson
uses a technique called statistical sampling, (the same is used to the
outcomes of elections), which means they create a sample audience, and
then figure out how many people in the audience watch each program.
nielson then takes these figures and applies it to the whole population
watching the show. To get these figures, the company gets about 5000
households to agree to be part of the representative sample for the
national ratings estimates. The houses are monitored and information is
sent back to the company. For example, the 2008 Summer Olympics are
the record holders for the most viewed show, with Nielson estimation that
up to 4.7 billion individual viewers (70% of the world's population) watched some
part of the coverage.

What are readership circulation figures?

Circulation figures are the total number of copies of a newspaper or
magazine distributed in a region during a specific period of time. more
popular magazines or newspapers will distribute more than other less
popular ones. this howeaver does not man sold copies, as some
newspapers and magazines are free, and some can be gained for free with
special offers or vouchers. The companies do this to work out if they are
printing the right amount of newspapers and magazines in correlation with
demand. In many countries, the figures are audited by independent
companies such as the Audit Bureau of Circulations. In the UK, the best
selling papers (as of 2011) are The Sun, 3,001,822, The Daily Mail,
2,136,568 and the Daily Mirror, 1,194,097.

Do the number hits on a website show how popular the website is? Do
you need more information about who is using the website to get an
accurate picture?

The number of hits do not necessarily show you how popular a website is.
For example, a website may have been clicked on but the viewer may
have immediately clicked off. This can happen when the website owners

pay money to advertise their website online, in apps, on popular websites
like YouTube and Facebook, or when they are included in pop ups from
specific games websites or similar. A website may have views, but it does
not mean that people wanted to view them, or that it is popular.

Do box office figures show if a film is popular? Would this change in
different countries or cultures depending on what the audiences around
the world enjoy?

Box office hits on the other hand do show how popular a film is, as people
have gone out of their way to buy the tickets and see the film that they
want to see. It would change between different countries, because
different cultures might enjoy different films to each other. For example,
America is know for loving big action films, but other countries may prefer
other genres of film, for example France and romance.

Do sales of CDs and DVDs and internet downloads show what kinds of
programmes people are interested in?

Yes, they do show this, especially with the booming popularity of
downloads from websites such as iTunes and Google Play. On each of
these websites, you usually see a Most Popular page, which show the
most downloaded items for that category. You can see their which genres
and shows or films are most popular. On the other hand though, such
websites might not be as popular in other countries, and you theirfore
would be able to make a justified conclusion of what programs different
people are interested in.

Qualitative research

What are film reviews, who might read them, do they have different
styles? Would a film review in The Sun newspaper be different from one
in the Daily Mail?

Film reviews are the analysis and evaluation of a film that the journalist
has seen, usually written in newspapers, magazines and on journalism
websites. They are written and published for the public to see. The public
would read them, to decide if they want to see the film, or read them to
discuss the film after seeing it. Reviews can be very different, some more
professional and critical, others more casual and jokey. For example, a
review in a teen or gossip magazine would use more casual language that
that of a newspaper, because the audience is different; the reviews are
tailored for the target audience.

Are computer game reviews different for different kinds of players of
games?

Yes, the review for players of action or war based games would be written
differently to the reviews aimed at players of puzzle or more universal
classified games. For example, the reviews for games such as Call of Duty
would potentially include gruesome language, as that is a major part of

the game. On the other hand, a review for games such as Pokmon would
be upbeat and jovial, as the game is aimed for younger audiences.


How do fanzine websites talk about their chosen content, is it different to
a critical review? Who would use a fanzine website (e.g. Star Wars fans,
etc)

Fanzine websites are written very differently to that of a critical review.
The content can be written in a very casual way, in most cases, and the
things they write are usually not critical of the subject, but instead
supportive, as the audience of the website is fans of the subject.


How would a company (e.g. like ITV, BBC or Channel 4) find out about
peoples attitudes to their media products and programmes?

Big companies like this have lots of review websites, a contact us section,
and are on most social networks, so they can actively see what people are
saying about their company. They have comments sections set up on a lot
of their website, and the public can get in tough to post complaints,
supportive comments, or general talk about them. Also, since social
networks have boomed in popularity, platforms like Twitter and Facebook
mean that they can search for key words and read through what the
public are saying. It also means that the company can get in touch with
the public, and reply to and complaints or questions they may have.

What websites allow you to comment and give responses to news
coverage?

Social networks like Twitter or Facebook mean that you can respond to
things posted about the news, and you can share them with your
friends/followers so that they can comment on it also. The news websites
also usually have a comments section, which means that the public can
discuss specific articles.

What websites allow audiences to respond or make complaints about
advertising?

The Advertisement Standards Agency has a website which the public can
make complaints via.










Part 2


There are different ways in which you can collect data, however they
can be grouped into two main areas. Primary research, where you get
information direct from the source, and secondary information, where
someone else has prepared information for you.

In terms of primary research, what are the following and how would
you carry each one out?

An interview with an expert; What are open and closed questions?

An interview with an expert should be with open questions, so that
you get more out of the interview. An open question is question
which has to be answered with a long answer, like how and why.
A closed question can be answered with one word, for example
when or who.

An observation of an event

An observation of an even is where the event is recorded in some
way, like being videoed, when notes are written, or where the audio
is captured.

Online questionnaires

An online questionnaire is when an interactive questionnaire is
made and shared online either with specified people or opened to
the general public. When the questions are answered the answers
are submitted, and the person or people that made the
questionnaire can read the responses and collect the data from it.

Census surveys

Census Surveys are another way of gathering data using primary
research

Focus groups

A focus group is where a group of people gather to talk about a
subject, and the group is usually recorded in some way.


Audience panels


An audience panel is when the public listen to a radio show, or
watch a tv show and send feedback to the show on what they have
heard/seen and their opinions on it.

Active participation in internet forums about a subject (e.g. Avaaz,
CAAT, etc.)

Forums are where many people go to talk about and discuss just
about any subject you can think of. Forums are widely popular and
are open to anyone who can access it.

In terms of secondary research where could you get access to the
following information sources? What might be an appropriate use
for each one?

Books

Books are accessible via libraries, online, in shops and even as
audio downloads. They are one of the best ways to research and
find information, because books date back to the first century.

Journals

Journals are the documents of someones life or an event written in
the first person. Famous journals are available as books again, from
the library, online or in shops.

Periodicals

A periodical is similar to a journal, though it is published at regular
intervals.

Newspapers

Newspapers are a good way of research, because they have been
around for a long time, and come out usually daily, including lots of
stories from all around the world.

Film Archives

Film archives have copies of all films, dating back to the first film
made, and theirfore would be a great way to research.

Photo Libraries

Photo libraries hold copies of photos also dating back to the first
photo, and with these photos you can see what the world was like
when the photo was taken in comparison to what its like now.


Online encyclopedia

An online encyclopedia like Wikipedia for example contains
information pages about all sorts of things, and are theirfore a good
way of researching and finding out about different things.

Searching Internet Forums

Forums are where many people go to talk about and discuss just
about any subject you can think of. People can read through the
posts on the forums and gain information about the subject.

Audio Material and Archive Footage

Archived footage and audio is a good way to research, as things like
lectures or talks can be documented and used again in the future.

TV Ratings figures

TV ratings are useful for people to see, as they can tell how many
people watch a show and therefore see how popular the show is.

Newspaper Circulation Figures

Newspaper circulation figures are good, as you can see how many
people read a certain newspaper, and see how popular that
newspaper is.


What do the following data gathering agencies do?

Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB)

BARB is the official company that provides television viewing figures in
the UK

Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd (RAJAR);

RAJAR is the official company that provides radio audience figures in
the UK

How can your own self-generated audio or photographic records of
events be used to research?

Things and events that I have filmed I can share online, where it will
be safely kept. This footage can be seen in later dates, and big events
such as gigs or gatherings can be viewed again in the future, by people
that were theyre or want to see what happened. I can refer back to old

footage whenever I want, can this can be used in future productions
that I, or other people, make. For example, people that want to
research a music artist may see the footage I have taken, and use it in
their own research.

Part 3

When your research is complete your data will be useful to you. How
are the following different kinds of media information used?

Audience research, how could you use:

Audience Data
Audience data shows what the audience is like, and what they are
looking to see, so you know in the future how to tailor your work to
the specific audience.

Audience Profiling
Audience profiling is where you research your audience beforehand,
and therefore tailor your work to the specific audience.

Demographics knowing who you are dealing with
It is erally important to know your audience; otherwise the thing you
produce might not be suitable for the audience.

Geodemographics knowing where your audience is from
This is also very important, as you need to know where your audience
is from, and therefore produce something that is relevant and suitable
for that audience.

Consumer Behavior (i.e. collated from Tescos clubard)
It is also important to research and know what customers like to buy,
so you can create a product or make more of a product based on what
and how much of something they buy

Consumer Attitudes (i.e. from an online survey)
Knowing your customers attitude is important, as you need to know
how they think and what they think when looking for a product.

Audience Awareness (Knowledge of facts and figures)
Customers want to know about the product they are using, so
including facts and figures will gain trust from the audience.

Market research, how could you use information about:

The Product Market what is already out there
This shows what is already on the market, and when developing a
product, you can see other companies that have done similar products

and see how successful theyve been, and then figure out how you can
be more successful.

How much competition there is
The product you make is going to be harder to make successful if there
are competitor companies making a similar product. With this, you can
work on how you can make your product more successful than theirs,
by maybe cost or advertising.

Competitor Analysis who are your main competitors and can you
compete?
You need to know your competitors well, and you need to know how to
compete with them, if you can.

Advertising Placement, where is it best to put your adverts?
Advertising Effects, how effective is you chosen format and style of
advert going to be on your audience?
You again need to research your audience and see how you should
advertise to them. Like when making a product for children, you would
need to advertise on a childrens TV channel or in a childrens
magazine.


Production research, how could you use information about:

What content to put into your production? E.g. if your audience like a
particular informal style, how could you incorporate this into your new
series of commercials on TV?
If you research what your audience is interested by and want to see,
you can develop your adverts to how they specifically like it. For
example, if the audience is interested in a casual and informal style,
then in your commercials you would not advertise it as fast paced and
exciting, and instead would make it calm and laid back.

Viability, will your media production have the desired effect?
Placement Media i.e. knowing if an internet commercial or a billboard
new to a busy road be best
Again, research is key for this specific section of advertising. You need
to know where and how to advertise to the target audience to make it
seen by them.

Finance who would be interested in supporting your work with
investment
People are always liking for new things to invest in and support, but
you would have to pitch to a company that is relevant to the
production you are making.




Accurate Cost/budget knowledge
This is a key point to add into a pitch, as knowing how much your
production would cost will make people believe that you know exactly
what you are doing. A lot of time must be spent on working out the
costs and budget, as you need to know exactly what you are intending
on spending.

Technological Resources and the skills to use it
This is when you know exactly how to work the equipment and
everything else included in the making of your production, like for
example editing or working a green screen.

Personnel who is best to do the job
You would want someone with a lot of experience in making
productions, and with knowledge of experience, rather than taking on
an inexperienced student for example, who may not understand or
know what is needed of them.

Conclusion:

Finally, conclude your work by discussing how difficult working in
the media would be without having access to the above information
and information gathering methods. This should demonstrate the
importance of research.

Working in the media would be really really difficult if it werent for
people recording and documenting stuff. If you could not research
things, then people would not have the right information about
certain subjects. The more you research, the more understanding
you have about the topic, which can help in different ways, like in
another genre; adding to medical research which have helped find
cures for illnesses etc. If you werent able to research, you would
not know what the target audience of whatever the product is would
want. This means that the popularity of the product would not be
good, and it would not be successful. Reseearch is vital when
making a product for the public, and the more feedback you get
from who the product is aimed as, and the more research you do on
the product and audience, both primary and secondary, the better
you can make your product.