INDEX• Quantitative & Qualitative• Methods and source of research• Purpose of research• Data gathering agencies• Self generated work• Research board BARB• Radio joint audience research RAJAR

Quantitative & Qualitative

QuantitativeQuantitative data is more efficient, but may however miss contextual detail. Quantitative

research is used to quantify data and generalize results. Data collected is usually illustrated by numbers and graphs. Quantitative research is used to illustrate the amount of work that has been produced in order for them to gain a thorough understanding into a chosen topic or discussion. This method of research is often more time consuming and

expensive as it involves having to give a rather elongated explanation relating to the topic of choice.

QualitativeQuantitative research is recommended during earlier phases of research projects.

Research is done to gain an understanding of underlying reasons and motivations. Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects. It is performed in order to uncover prevalent trends in thought and opinion. Qualitative research is used by students to demonstrate the amount of detail which they have looked into when researching into a chosen topic

or discussion.

Primary researchPrimary research involves researching but with is no data available for the researcher, meaning they have to start from scratch. Methods of collecting

research can include designing questionnaires, collecting data from respondents and then analyse the result. As well as this researchers may undertake looking into

other resources including focus panels, questionnaires and audience panels.

Secondary researchWith secondary research, the researcher has the necessary data available now due

to the surveys and methods conducted in the primary research task. This data is made available through looking into other publications or reports, including

newspaper or annual reports of companies. Secondary research doesn’t take as much time as much of the data necessary is already available for the researcher,

however resources are still looked into and can include things such as books, internet browsing, databases and media formats.

Methods and source of research

• Research is about looking into what people don’t already know. Often what people know, or think they know about something, is incorrect. Research must be undertaken in order to give people a more detail look, explanation and incite into a chosen topic or discussion of their choosing.

• Audience research: Audience research is a method undertaken in an attempt to find out opinions and thoughts of a specific audience that relates to you chosen topic of study. Qualitative audience research engages with relatively small numbers of individuals in order to gain a complex, detailed and in-depth understanding of their experiences and response to watching a performance.

• While quantitative research engages with larger numbers that have a statistical relationship to a population as a whole, qualitative research provides descriptions of the responses of particular audiences members to particular performances at a particular time and place.

• Market research: Market research is a method undertaken which involves the researcher undertaking research into information about a chosen market or customer(s). Market research is for looking into what people want and why they want it. It can also involve discovering how they act. Once this research is carried out, it can be used to determine how to market a certain product.

• Production research: Production research consists of undertaking specific research which involves looking into certain products or companies in order to gain a thorough understanding as to what their production is about, how the companies have gone about working with certain productions and why they have chosen to work with such productions.

Purpose of research

Data gathering is a term used in order to relate to the gathering of research and information for a chosen topic.

• Observations: The use of objective, third-party observers allows for the gathering of standardized qualitative data across multiple classrooms or sites. 

• Interviews: Interviews provide information about project strengths and weaknesses. Successful interviews often begin with a standard set of questions for the interviewee but allow for more in-depth questions to be answered about the project for the interviewer.

• Focus groups: Focus groups help to determine the feelings, and way of thinking of people interested in a topic or project being discussed, regarding their experiences. Focus group participants are able to influence each other, which provides for a more natural environment, allowing for people to share information and therefore expand on their opinions and thoughts towards the topic of choice.

• Portfolios: Portfolios are a specialised way of showing data collected in a large quantity that relates to a topic or project, it may be used to gain a more detailed understanding of a person abilities and improvement and, as a result are an attractive alternative to more traditional assessment approaches such as just standard data gathering or essays.

• Surveys: Data gathered from surveys allow organizations to see different opinions given by people who have developed interest in the project and can suggest whether or not the project will or will not be successful.

Data gathering agencies

• Self generated work is crucial in a research process for any topic being discussed as it proves that not only have you looked into the topic being discussed but that you have an understanding in the topic also. Self generated work can consist of short paragraphing that explains the topic you are discussing in detail but can also be made up of other aspects such as pictures, videos, audio material and records of events that have taken place which relate to the topic.

• For example for my research I have chosen to research the latest James Bond film titles Skyfall. For my self generated work I would have to include work such as pictures from magazines, posters, videos from either interviews discussing filming or the storyline of the film or music that has been made for the purpose of the product.

Self generated work

BARB stands for broadcasters research audience board and are an organisation responsible for providing official measurements of UK television audiences. BARB is responsible for providing information stating how many people watch various or specific channels on television. This includes programmes being viewed, when they are watched and the type of people who are viewing these channels at any one time. Viewing data is collected every second and delivered every minute for channels that receive these programmes within the UK. When people agree to join the BARB panel their homes are all monitored electronically. Each piece of equipment that is connected to each TV set in the home is also monitored in this way, which looks at the equipment and determines which of the monitors currently being used by the owners to monitor the TV screen at anytime. Each television in one house is connected to its own meter which holds an electronic record for the set allowing for the company to keep a detailed check and monitor on what programs and channels are viewed. The meter is a small box which is put close to each television set and connected to it. The meter automatically identifies the channel that is being watched by the panel member.

Research board BARB

• RAJAR stands for radio joint audience research and measures by listening across all radio distribution platforms being tuned in to or listened including online. RAJAR has conducted extensive testing of electronic devices that capture listening, either by picking up signals within station transmissions or by matching captured audio against a database of all transmissions in order to check what stationed are being tuned into by listeners. This would allow measurement to capture both conscious and unconscious listening meaning they would manage to monitor who is actually listening to the stations they’ve tuned onto and who isn’t listening despite the fact they have tuned in, and would theoretically end listeners attributing their listening to the wrong station.

Radio joint audience research RAJAR