ECR & POSTGRADUATE PRECONFERNECE WORKSHOP...From Research Idea to Research Project: a preconference workshop Program 10.10-11.10 Masterclass 1: State of the Field 11.10-11.30 Short

From Research Idea to Research P ro jec t

ECR & POSTGRADUATE

PRECONFERNECE WORKSHOP

ECREA Radio Research Conference 19-21September, 2019

Siena (Italy)

+ Thank you+ Acknowledgement of country+ Some basic housekeeping

(toilets, breaks/lunch, 2 min slide presentations)

Introductions

F r o m R e s e a r c h I d e a t o R e s e a r c h P r o j e c t :a p r e c o n f e r e n c e w o r k s h o p


Objective & Aims

Objective+ Generate a very rough set of notes for an integrated research project proposal

Aims+ Build research project proposal development skills (collaborative thinking & writing)+ Create ongoing partnerships between ECRs & Postgrads working in radio and audio

media studies+ Introduce ECRs & Postgrads to experienced scholars – information exchange and

mentoring+ Further internationalise radio and audio media studies research & collaboration


Program10.10-11.10 Masterclass 1: State of the Field

11.10-11.30 Short break

11.30-12.15 Workshop 1: ECR Introductions – single slide presentations

12.15-1.15 Masterclass 2: Research Project Proposal Composition

1.15-2.00 Lunch (Local eateries)

2.00-3.00 Workshop 2: Research Project Proposal Composition A

3.00-3.20 Short break

3.20-4.00 Workshop 3: Research Project Proposal Composition B

4.00-4.30 Closing Remarks

MASTERCLASS 1STATE OF THE F IELD

PANELISTS:

Mia Lindgren (Swinburne University)

Madalena Oliveira (University of Minho)

Martin Spinelli (Sussex University)

Matt Mollgaard (Auckland University of Technology)

Facilitated by Chris K Wilson


The Questions+ What piece of recent radio/audio media scholarship has made a strong

impression on you and why?

+ What are some of the new methodologies emerging in radio/audio media studies?

+ Are there any archives or datasets (new or otherwise) that you think have been underutilised in radio/audio media studies?

+ What new theoretical or conceptual approaches are emerging in the field or being applied from other fields?

+ A 2 minute elevator pitch addressing one of the expert topics

WORKSHOP 1E C R I N T R O D U C T I O N S

S I N G L E S L I D E P R E S E N TAT I O N S


Chris K Wilson, Swinburne University (Melbourne, Australia)

Document analysis: policy documents, legislation, parliamentary transcripts Semi-structured interviews: regulators, policy makers, creatives Archival research: National Archives Australia, private collections Quantitative datasets: market surveys, population census

Radio history Radio and youth Policy and innovation Communication infrastructures

Methodologies & materials I generally work with

My primary radio & audio media research interests

Local content regulation in the age of streaming

Expert research topic I’d like to develop

Josephine Coleman, Birkbeck/Brunel, London (UK)

Local radio and communities Media production practices Journalistic practice and public relations Sociality and social gain

Practice-based research and teaching: learning through doing Qualitative research: semi-structured interviews, participant observation Content and textual analysis: radio/audio Desk research (reading and listening-in)



Radio and the contemporary news landscape


Ben Horner, Canterbury Christ Church University (UK)

Practice based: Subject research – history, archive, first-hand accounts Sound capture, musical composition, audio processing, narrative editing Semi-structured interview techniques

Composed feature documentary Podcast/radio documentary form Music, sound, listener interpretation Affect theory and audio documentary as musical practice



• New arbiters of quality? Podcasting and audio arts criticism


Amber Hammill, Auckland University of Technology (Auckland, New Zealand)

Grounded theory Interviews and discussion groups with listeners and users Feminist research epistemologies and practices Audio texts

Listening and audiences Public radio Community radio & participation Radio fandom



Listening to podcasts – meanings and purposes (and lots more from this super exciting list!)


Andy K Stuhl, McGill University (Montreal, QC, Canada)

Discourse analysis: policy debates, marketing, industry literature, online forum discussions Textual analysis: artworks and events Interviews: artists and technicians Software studies: code and technical documentation, infrastructural inversion

Broadcasting technologies and practices Sonic and transmission arts Software and automation Political economy of communication



Audio Revolution: Radio’s future in an age of tech giants


Freja Berg, University of Southern Denmark (Odense, Denmark)

Quantitative content analysis: broadcast radio Semi-structured interviews: independent podcasters Inductive open coding: Instagram posts

Public service radio Podcast aesthetics Revenue creating in independent podcasting Social media and independent podcasting



Podcasting and radio crossovers


Tom Miller, Brooklyn College – City University of New York

Ethnographic archives Radio art Reimagined field recordings Sound montage

Sonic anthropology Community radio Transmission arts Archives and ephemera




Facilitating cross-pollination of folklore and ethnographic archives with community radio makers and radio artists

Caitlin Shepherd, UWE (Bristol, UK)

Site-specific listening Small-scale convivial listening Attentive listening Listening as resistance



The impact/effects of radio and radio’s current ‘perception’ problem


Dynamic praxis as research Ethnography & auto ethnography Semi-structured interviews; audiences, collaborators, citizens Literary and praxis-led research and analysis

Rufus McEwan, Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand)

Semi-structured interviews: broadcasters, producers, managers, officials Document analysis: industry reports, policy documents, legislation, parliamentary transcripts Thematic analysis

Contemporary Radio Media transformation (convergence) and government policy Work and uncertainty in radio industries Indigenous radio (Māori)



The impact/effects of radio and radio’s current ‘perception’ problem


Thiago Novaes, CAPES Foundation (Ministry of Education, Brasil)

Digital archives on the Internet (sound, video and text) Oral history (semi-structured interviews - ethnography) Public Consultations on Spectrum Regulation Annals and presentations of International Foruns and Academic meetings

Free radio, community radio Autonomous communication infrastructures Spectrum policy and regulation Sound Art



Dynamic spectrum management regulation


Britta Jorgensen, Swinburne University (Melbourne, Australia)

▪ Practice-based research (research through practice)▪ Semi-structured interviews (practitioners/producers)▪ Participant observation

▪ Radio/podcast journalism▪ Podcast methodologies/techniques/practices▪ Independent producers



▪ Podcasting and audio arts criticism


Ania Mauruschat, University of Basel (Basel, Switzerland)

Radio plays & features Podcasts, fiction & documentary content analysis semi-structured interview

Radio Art Feature Podcasting Sound as Energy



(5) Listening to podcasts – meanings and purposes


Sadie Couture, Concordia University (Montreal, Canada)

▪ Archival research: Library of Congress, Archives nationales du Québec, City of Vancouver Archives ▪ Listening as method: historical and contemporary audio as primary materials▪ Audience studies: Working with listener forums (letters, discussion threads)▪ Textual analysis: exploring mediality and connections between audio and other media forms

▪ Radio history▪ Talk radio▪ Audio forms and aesthetics▪ Listening communities



▪ Podcasting and radio crossovers


Ma. Theresa M. Rivera, Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines

Focus group discussions and Key informant interviews Content analysis of radio programs and SMS sent to radio programs Document analysis of local legislation on use of media, local government initiatives to use radio as tool

Radio for social and behavioral change Effect of radio on indigenous communities Use of radio for conflict/disaster risks communication New media technologies and radio- convergence or conflation?



• The impact/effects of radio and radio’s current ‘perception’ problem• Young people and radio: beyond content demands


Annie Oye, University of Ghana (Accra, Ghana)

Quantitative Content analyses: ads, radio archives, webpages movies Qualitative research: semi-structured interviews

Community radio Participation in radio Radio and gender Radio and development



• Community radio, gender and media literacy


MASTERCLASS 2R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T

P R O P O S A L C O M P O S I T I O N

Presented by Chris K Wilson


Outline

1. Components of a ‘typical’ research proposal (grant application)

2. An example of an integrated research proposal

3. A development process – fuzzy mapping an integrated proposal


What do you know already?

+ Postgraduate research proposal experience – features and conceptual focus:

+ Topic

+ Review literature and identify knowledge gap

+ Formulate research question to address that gap

+ Generate sub-aims that feed into the research question

+ Identify methods that YOU will use to address the research question

+ Outline a plan of activity through which YOU will employ the methods

This is an important piece of research training


Post-Post-graduation, what’s to know?

+ Research proposals tend to be produced as grant applications

+ ↑ scale

+ ↑ complexity [new players (research team, stakeholders, reference groups, funding agencies, HDRs); funding and contractual requirements; budgets; university protocols and strategic aims]

+ Demands a slight shift in focus from conceptual (intellectual legitimacy) to functional planning (how it will work and whether it is feasible)

The functional component is often poorly developed (an afterthought!)


Components of a typical research proposal

A series of questions translate into components of a typical proposal:1. What you will do and why?

(Aim, sub-aims and background [research gap])2. Who will do it and how?

(Personnel/expertise and methods)3. When and where will you do it?

(Research project/timeline)4. What you need to do it?

(Resources/budget)5. What will come of it?

(Communication of results)

Expertise

Methods

Research Project

(Timeline)

Resources (Budget)

Communicate Results

AIMSUB-AIMS

SCOPE


Components of a typical research proposal

A series of questions translate into components of a typical proposal:1. What you will do and why?

(Aim, sub-aims and background [research gap])2. Who will do it and how?

(Personnel/expertise and methods)3. When and where will you do it?

(Research project/timeline)4. What you need to do it?

(Resources/budget)5. What will come of it?

(Communication of results)

Some of these are conceptual, most are functional!

Expertise

Methods

Research Project

(Timeline)

Resources (Budget)

Communicate Results

AIMSUB-AIMS

SCOPE


Scope impacts everything

+ The scope may be determined by one or more elements [such as budget, allocated time, research location, nature of the research object (eg an event)]

+ The scope will impact on each of the constituent components of the proposal

So, we’ll chat about this prior to undertaking our work in Workshop 2!


Some more detail (key ARC grant components)

+ PROJECT TITLE+ Short and snappy

+ AIMS AND BACKGROUND+ Present the global aim-statement and a series of sub-aims that provide the structure of the

Research Project design+ Include information about national/international progress in this field of research and its

relationship to this application. + Provide the orientation for the conceptual framework and set of methods that will “answer a

question, solve a problem, investigate a field, etc”


Some more detail (key ARC grant components)

Remember, the premise of the proposal is that it posits something that is not known, or is not known sufficiently well, and that is worth knowing. It is a proposal to investigate something, rather than to argue for something about which you are already certain, so the rhetoric should be ‘I will investigate this…’ or ‘an outstanding problem in the field is…’ or ‘the hypothesis to be explored is’; not ‘I will show that …’.


+ RESEARCH PROJECT (Including METHOD/S)+ Provided a detailed description of the research programs/packages

highlighting the importance of the selected methods in relation to addressing the aim/sub-aims

+ Provide a timeline of research programs/packages

+ ROLE OF PERSONNEL+ Describe the human resources necessary to complete the project

+ COMMUNICATION OF RESULTS+ Outline plans for communicating the research results to other

researchers and the broader community, including but not limited to scholarly and public communication and dissemination.

Some more detail (key ARC grant components


ARC Discovery Grant Components+ BUDGET (Annual divisions)

+ Personnel (CIs and RFs @ Level x FTE; HDRs etc)+ Travel (Conferences/meetings/workshops – flights, accomm, per diem)+ Fieldwork (flights, accomm, per diem, recruitment costs etc)+ Equipment (eg data collection devices)+ Maintenance and consumables (stationary etc)+ Other (data access and analysis, transcriptions, conference regos, etc)

+ BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONBased on budget headings – why do you need to spend the money?


Straightforward …right?

Investing time in each component is important but overt component integration is fundamental to a great proposal that demonstrates both:(a) Intellectual legitimacy(b) Functional Feasibility

Methods

Expertise

Research Project

(Timeline)

Resources (Budget)

Communicate Results

AIMSUB-AIMS

SCOPE


Integrated Research Proposal: Research Idea/Question

Title: Public Wi-Fi as Urban Infrastructure - the Australian Case

This research positions publicly provided Wi-Fi as a type of urban and civic infrastructure and asks whether there is a sound case for local government investment in public Wi-Fi networks. Our project aims to critically examine and evaluate the provision, use and impact of public Wi-Fi networks funded by LGAs in Australia.


Integrated Research Proposal: Research Idea/Question – Sub Aims

+ The research addresses two knowledge gaps (sub-aims):+ The first is empirical. There are currently no data available that allow for an overview

picture or in-depth case studies of public Wi-Fi in Australia.+ The second knowledge gap is theoretical. It turns on whether Wi-Fi can be usefully

regarded in conceptual and policy terms as being similar to physical infrastructures such as utilities, roads or parks, or whether the particular technological and social characteristics of Wi-Fi require development of a new theoretical framework to fully capture public investment arguments. Research Question/Idea:

the case for local government investment in public Wi-Fi

Aim 1: Empirical Aim 2: Theoretical


Integrated Research Proposal: Research Quest. to Research programs/packages

+ The two Sub Aims are addressed through three Research Programs:+ RP 1 Mapping the policy landscape and public Wi-Fi provision+ RP 2 Public Wi-Fi investment case study analyses+ RP 3 Theoretical, technical and evaluative model generation

Research Question/Idea:the case for local government

investment in public Wi-Fi


RP1policy landscape

RP2case analyses

RP3model generation


Integrated Research Proposal: Operationalising the programs

Research Question/Idea:the case for local government

investment in public Wi-Fi


RP1policy landscape

RP2case analyses

RP3model generation

Expertise/Personnel

Budget/Resources

Methods

Communicating results

Timeline


Personnel – an example of integration

+ A3 Person Participant Summary+ C1.4 Role of Personnel+ C1.3 (Timeline)+ D1.1 Budget Personnel+ E2 Budget Justification – non-ARC+ F14 Research impact and contributions to the field, most relevant to this

Proposal


Personnel – Person Participant Summary- Social scientist - Infrastructure/Public Wi-Fi - Lead CI - Project management experience

- Telecommunications engineer- Published on wi-fi (with Mcshane)

- Economist- Public good and

common innovation resources expertise

- International Communications Policy Expert

- Published extensively on public wi-fi- Previously collaborated with McShane

F r o m R e s e a r c h I d e a t o R e s e a r c h P r o j e c t :a p r e c o n f e r e n c e W o r k s h o p

Personnel – C1.4 Role of personnel

CI McShane (0.5 FTE): CI McShane will lead the project, drawing on substantial experience as a chief investigator and research fellow on ARC-funded projects (including DP120100594, LP110200550 and LP0775215). He will take overall responsibility for the implementation of the research plan, fieldwork, and analysis. This includes coordinating the development of the research protocols and instruments, supervising and training the research associates and research assistant, and working with the entire team to assemble the research findings for academic and policy publication.


Personnel – C1.3 Research project (timeline)Research Program & Activities Key staff Mar June Sept Dec Mar June Sept Dec Mar June Sept Dec

Program PreparationPlanning, design, ethics approval TeamRecruitment and training of researchers TeamRP1: Mapping the policy landscape and public Wi-Fi provisionOnline LGA public Wi-Fi survey CI McShane, RFOnline project archive map development CI McShane, RF, GIS Tech.Policy analysis TeamGovt. & private stakeholder interviews CI McShane, RFCanada: Govt. & private stakeholder interviews CI McShane, PI MiddletonReport and allied publishing TeamRP2: Public Wi-Fi investment case analysisFormalise site access CI McShane, RFInterview development stakeholders CIs Mcshane, Gregory, Goorha, RFUser-evaluation research CI McShane, RFReport and allied publishing CIs Mcshane, Gregory, Goorha, RFRP3: Theoretical, technical and evaluative model generationModelling workshops TeamConference TeamReport and allied publishing Team

2015 2016 2017


Personnel – D1.1 Personnel


Personnel – E2 Budget Justification – non-ARCCI McShane (Level C3 - C5 @ 0.5 FTE plus 35.91% on costs) [RP1-3]Year 1 $72,852Year 2 $74,953Year 3 $77,053

CI McShane will contribute 50 per cent of his time to this research project. He will take overall responsibility for the management of the project and research team, coordinate the development of the research protocols and instruments, supervise and train the research associates and research assistant, and conduct substantial fieldwork (engaging with all aspects of the research and engaging with policymakers, network developers, and users). He will work with the entire team to assemble the research findings for academic and policy publication. CI McShane seeks an ICA to spend two months of year two of the project in Canada working alongside PI Middleton, a leader in the Communication Technology and Digital Media Studies field based at Ryerson University.


Personnel – F14 Research impact and contributions to the field, most relevant to this proposal

CI McShaneMy major contribution to the broad field of research encompassing this application is found in two areas: my research on the provision, use and governance of community level infrastructure, and recent work on the provision and use of public Wi-Fi in Australia. My research and publications in the first area place me as one of Australia’s leading scholars of local-level infrastructure, with particular expertise in histories, policy discourses and governance of the local public realm. In the second area, recent research on developments in public Wi-Fi in Australia, which are beginning to appear in press (Publication # 15, and McShane, I., Meredyth, D. & Wilson, C: Broadband as Civic Infrastructure – the Australian Case’, Media International Australia, under review), lead the field. These two areas are brought together in a theoretical and empirical analysis of the increasing interpenetration of physical and digital in urban management, formal and informal education systems, and social and civic life.


Communication of Results – an example of integration

+ C1.6 Communication of Results+ C1.4 Role of Personnel+ C1.3 (Timeline)+ D1.3 Travel+ E1 Budget Justification – ARC+ E2 Budget Justification – non-ARC


Com of Results – C1.6 Communication of Results+ A minimum of 6 journal articles and 6 refereed conference papers that build on the

project team’s solid publishing and presentation track record in these fields will be targeted as follows (THEN EXAMPLES)

+ A series of policy relevant outputs will also be generated including (EXAMPLES)+ A conference hosted by the RMIT Centre for Urban Research (CUR) in the final year

of the project will provide an opportunity to present findings to local and international scholars and practitioners. PI Middleton, who will be hosted by RMIT during this time as part of an ICA, will provide the keynote address. (The conference is a budget neutral item, funded by registrations, with RMIT providing rooms and other materials).


Com of Results – C1.4 Role of personnel

CI McShane (0.5 FTE): CI McShane will lead the project, drawing on substantial experience as a chief investigator and research fellow on ARC-funded projects (including DP120100594, LP110200550 and LP0775215). He will take overall responsibility for the implementation of the research plan, fieldwork, and analysis. This includes coordinating the development of the research protocols and instruments, supervising and training the research associates and research assistant, and working with the entire team to assemble the research findings for academic and policy publication.

F r o m R e s e a r c h I d e a t o R e s e a r c h P r o j e c t :a p r e c o n f e r e n c e W o r k s h o p

Com of Results – C1.3 Research project (timeline)Research Program & Activities Key staff Mar June Sept Dec Mar June Sept Dec Mar June Sept Dec

Planning, design, ethics approval TeamRecruitment and training of researchers Team

Online LGA public Wi-Fi survey CI McShane, RFOnline project archive map development CI McShane, RF, GIS Tech.Policy analysis TeamGovt. & private stakeholder interviews CI McShane, RFCanada: Govt. & private stakeholder interviews CI McShane, PI MiddletonReport and allied publishing Team

Formalise site access CI McShane, RFInterview development stakeholders CIs Mcshane, Gregory, Goorha, RFUser-evaluation research CI McShane, RFReport and allied publishing CIs Mcshane, Gregory, Goorha, RF

Modelling workshops TeamConference TeamReport and allied publishing Team

RP3: Theoretical, technical and evaluative model generation

2015 2016 2017

Program Preparation

RP1: Mapping the policy landscape and public Wi-Fi provision

RP2: Public Wi-Fi investment case analysis


Com of Results – D1.3 Travel


Com of Results – E2 Budget Justification – non-ARC

Domestic conference attendance x CI & PRA 2ppl [RP1-3]Year 2 $1,399 Year 3 $1,399Conferences are an important mechanism for disseminating results from the study as indicated in Part C-Communication of Results. We have budgeted for the participation of two CIs/PRAs in domestic conferences in year two and year three of the project. (Registration is included under Other).

Costs are:Return economy flights Melbourne – Sydney $279 (sourced from online best-price aggregator)1 night accommodation @ $183 (ATO 2013-2014 allowance rates)2 days per diem @ $118.85 (ATO 2013-2014 allowance rates)


So, you know what the objective is – an integrated research proposal that has intellectual legitimacy and functional feasibility. How do we get there?+ I have been working with academics using a dynamic process that I call fuzzy mapping.+ It involves: the Chief Investigator/s; two facilitators (who also act as note takers); 6 whiteboards; and

around 6-7 hours.+ Generally CIs have completed the Conceptual Plan (Aims/Background and have a basic idea of

Methods) [but these often shift during the fuzzy mapping process]+ The process is to concurrently generate all aspects of the proposal – with CI’s constantly challenged by

me and my co-facilitator to make functional decisions. It is fuzzy, messy and uncomfortable, but after 6-7 hours we usually have the basis of an integrated proposal.

‘Fuzzy’ mapping for project proposal development


(12) Radio and the contemporary news landscape

How is radio positioned in the contemporary news and information media landscape? How does the depth of news/information coverage on radio compare to other media?

Scope3 Years, no budget constraints (say 300k)

AimThis research will describe how radio is positioned in the contemporary news consumption media landscape in Australia

Sub aimsS1 What is the current state of radio news offerings in the Australian media? RP1S2 What is the current state of radio news consumption in Australia? RP2S3 Where does radio news fit in the media consumption of Australians? RP3

CLOSING REMARKS



Topics(1) Local content regulation in the age of streaming(2) Podcasting and radio crossovers(3) New arbiters of quality? Podcasting and audio arts criticism(4) Is customised listening the future for radio?(5) Listening to podcasts – meanings and purposes(6) The future delivery of radio services(7) Audio Revolution: Radio’s future in an age of tech giants(8) Radio user experience (UX) and in-car consumption(9) Public Service Broadcasting radio in a superabundant audio world(10) The impact/effects of radio and radio’s current ‘perception’ problem(11) Young people and radio: beyond content demands(12) Radio and the contemporary news landscape


(1) Local content regulation in the age of streamingIn a number of European countries radio broadcasters are subject to quotas that seek to expose local audiences to local music. Streaming services (such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music) have not been subject to a similar quota system since their emergence. Following a recent European Commission ruling that televisual streaming services (such as Netflix) will be subject to a 30% local content quota, there has been interest in imposing a similar quota on music streaming services. A range of questions arise out of this issue. How could a content quota system be applied to streaming services? Are quotas the right regulatory tool for pursuing local content strategies or is there a better way to regulate across radio and other audio media services? Should a quota system be applied to podcast aggregation platforms?

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/12/24/european-union-streaming-forced-content-quotas/


(2) Podcasting and radio crossoversWhat are we to make of the fact that more and more radio programs are simply being repackaged, with very few changes, as podcasts? How does this complicate some of the central arguments about the uniqueness of the podcast medium, such as those made by Martin Spinelli and Lance Dann in their 2019 book Podcasting: The Audio Media Revolution? Many specific podcasting characteristics (particularly those that deal with tone, attachment and engagement) seem to be feeding back into the way many non-current-events radio programs are being made. In simpler terms: “radio” is coming to sound more “podcast”?Understanding more about the extent and impact of the crossover of radio and podcasting creative practice would be of benefit to broadcasters and podcast producers and also to media industry educators.Note: This topic is derived from the “new sets of questions and further research opportunities” identified by Martin Spinelli and Lance Dann in the Afterword of Podcasting: The Audio Media Revolution.


(3) New arbiters of quality? Podcasting and audio arts criticism

What, if any, are the future alternatives to Apple’s de facto role as podcasting’s tastemaker? Spinelli and Dann (2019) note that podcast review programs (that exist only to review and promote other podcasts) have recently been developed by virtually every English-language national public broadcaster. The question is whether this is an effort by public broadcasters to reclaim for themselves the position of arbiters of “quality” media, or whether this phenomenon is simply an organic answer to Johanna Zorn’s plea for a broader and deeper culture of well-defined audio arts criticism?Understanding changes to the podcast tastemaking landscape will be of interest to podcast producers, podcast aggregators, public service media organisations and others.Note: This topic is derived from the “new sets of questions and further research opportunities” identified by Martin Spinelli and Lance Dann in the Afterword of Podcasting: The Audio Media Revolution.


(4) Is customised listening the future for radio?Audience-directed and/or audience-led content and advertising program customisation is well-established in the visual entertainment, social media and music streaming sectors. There have recently been calls from some within the radio industry for radio to move in a similar direction if it is to remain relevant (see Marc Adriani [Talpa Radio], Charlotte Hager [Comrecon] and others discussing this at 17m.35s+ here). This raises a range of technical and cultural questions. Is this what listeners really want from radio? What would listeners desire in terms of actual customisation and what could be delivered? Would listeners be happy to provide the necessary data for customisation to occur as they do in other sectors? Will there be a place for ‘serendipitous listening’?Further research on this topic would be of great benefit to a number of stakeholders, including commercial and public service audio-media companies, marketing and advertising agencies, and cultural policy makers.Note: This topic is derived from outputs recommended by Charlotte Hager of Comrecon who recently completed the ‘Planet Audio 2025’ study for AS and S Radio, RMS and Radiozentrale.


(5) Listening to podcasts – meanings and purposesIncreasingly, podcast audience behaviours are being mapped to measure impact and engagement, and in most cases, their ability to make money. Download metrics are complemented with listening patterns monitored through podcast apps (like the NPR One app) or via more traditional audience surveys. The data is predominantly quantitative with some qualitative questions added on. Current studies provide some in-depth knowledge about how listeners select podcast contents and how much podcast listening they do. However, there is still limited understanding of the role of podcast listening in people’s lives; what motivates podcast audiences to listen to podcasts, what is the purpose of listening to podcasts (where and how do people listen), what meaning to listeners ascribe to podcast listening? These are some of the questions that an anthropological study using observational and interview approaches could examine.Podcasting continues to grow in popularity amongst listeners, producers and advertisers. This understanding would benefit all sectors involved in podcast production, including educational institutions and civil society which is increasingly engaging with podcast production.Thanks to Mia Lindgren, co-editor of The Radio Journal for suggesting this topic.


(6) The future delivery of radio servicesOver the past three decades there has been substantial diversification in radio distribution technologies. Existing AM and FM technologies have been complemented by satellite and digital terrestrial distribution systems, while the public internet emerged as a new non-terrestrial distribution system. Although a single technology is yet to become dominant at a global scale, there has been a contraction in the range of distribution technologies available in certain countries. For example, the Netherlands turned off in AM transmission in 2015, while Norway switched-off national FM radio in December 2017. In Australia, the broadcasting regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, recently presented a scenario in which “free-to-air terrestrial radio progressively migrates to online streaming” as part of a consultation on the future delivery of radio services. In presenting this provocation the regulator has asked respondents to consider the technical implications of such a transition in relation to coverage, capacity and governance, as well as the social and cultural implications. This scenario presents a number of avenues for future research.

Knowing more about the technical and social and cultural implications of changes to radio distribution systems would be of great benefit to operators in all media sectors and to regulatory agencies. It is certainly a key policy issue in Europe—for example the Association of European Radios (AER) continues to argue for a continuation of multi-platform radio, noting that “ensuring reception of terrestrial free to air analogue and digital broadcasting, complemented by IP, is crucial to maintain a healthy radio market in Europe”.

Thanks to Michael Ireland of Radiocentre for pointing to current interest in the issue of the future of radio distribution in Europe and pointing to recent material published by the Association of European Radios.


(7) Audio Revolution: Radio’s future in an age of tech giants

The arrival of huge competitors from the tech world such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Spotify, etc. has the potential to outbid traditional radio players in access to content and talent, as well as to generate gatekeepers in the access to traditional radio content. What are the consequences (pros/cons) of the arrival of these big players for audiences and for established players? How is radio working / competing with new digital actors (market analysis)? What are the possible responses from traditional players? Is there a need for policy intervention in relation to this change to the sector?Thanks to Francesca Fabbri, Association Manager for AER – Association of European Radios, David Fernandez Quijada Manager of the EBU Media Intelligence Service and Graham Dixon, EBU Head of Radio for pointing to this important issue.


(8) Radio user experience (UX) and in-car consumption

Given that radio can now be consumed in a variety ways (live, on-demand, through screen devices, through voice-control, on different kind of devices, with or without headphones, etc.), research is needed on what users value in relation to each of those different experiences. What are the reasons people choose or prefer different devices, interfaces, etc. to listen to radio?One very illuminating topic is how radio is now consumed in cars. We need to understand more about what people value in their radio/audio/media interface in the dashboard.Thanks to David Fernandez Quijada, Manager of the EBU Media Intelligence Service and Graham Dixon, EBU Head of Radio for this topic.


(9) Public Service Broadcasting radio in a superabundant audio world

In a world of superabundant audio offer, including more linear broadcast stations (through DAB+, for instance), linear internet streams, on-demand radio/podcast, how does Public Service Broadcasting radio become the chosen option? This raises issues of the prominence and public service value of some content.Thanks to David Fernandez Quijada Manager of the EBU Media Intelligence Service for this topic.


(10) The impact/effects of radio & radio’s current ‘perception’ problem

Although radio continues to have huge reach (the highest of all media in some countries, such as the US), there is a perception that it is no longer relevant. There is a need for research that examines the value that radio brings to audiences in a diverse media media landscape including how it might play a particular role in raising awareness of important topics and empowering audiences to change behaviour or take action. A related research topic would address how the impact of radio can be communicated to change perceptions of the medium – what can be done to offer a picture of the medium that reflects more clearly its use and value in people’s lives?Thanks to David Fernandez Quijada Manager of the EBU Media Intelligence Service for this topic.


(11) Young people and radio: beyond content demands

What do young people hope to get from radio listening? This question is not just about identifying demand for particular types of content, but building a better understanding of how young people use (or seek to use) radio in meeting certain psychological needs.Thanks to Graham Dixon, EBU Head of Radio for pointing to this important issue.


(12) Radio and the contemporary news landscape

How is radio positioned in the contemporary news and information media landscape? How does the depth of news/information coverage on radio compare to other media?

Thanks to Graham Dixon, EBU Head of Radio for pointing to this important issue.

WORKSHOP 3R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T

P R O P O S A L C O M P O S I T I O N ( B )


WORKSHOP 3R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T

P R O P O S A L C O M P O S I T I O N ( B )


Documents

ECR & POSTGRADUATE PRECONFERNECE WORKSHOP...From Research Idea to Research Project: a preconference workshop Program 10.10-11.10 Masterclass 1: State of the Field 11.10-11.30 Short