ResearchRhiannah Baker

Terminology Circulation

How many copies of a print product that have been distributed

Hits How many times a certain webpage has been viewed

Box Office Figures How much money a film has made at the cinema

Ratings How something had been rated

Sales How many products have been sold

Primary Research Definition

Research you do yourself, where the audience and researcher are in direct contact.

Advantages The ability to target issues and it is also more up to date information.

Disadvantages Its is very time consuming and takes a lot of resources.

Example Questionnaires/Surveys (A series of questions based around a product/subject,

often to produce statistical data) Interviews A discussion between 2 people where one asks the other questions) Focus Groups (A group of people are asked a series of questions, often from lots

of different backgrounds) Vox Pops (Informally discussing a specific topic with individuals, often on the

street) Product Analysis (Critically discussing a product/text)

Secondary Research Definition

Studying someone else’s research, using it in your own work.

Advantages The research has already been done for you, you’re just ‘stealing’ it for

your own work. There can be a lot of resources available.

Disadvantages Research may not always be easy to find, or what you want. You have to rely, and trust that what others have researched to be true,

and correct.

Example Internet research. Library research. Archive research.

Quantitative Research

Definition Expressed or expressible as a quantity. Research that you can quantify, and measure and put into

percentages, fractions, and numbers. Advantages

You get straight answers, because closed questions give simple answers.

Disadvantages You cannot get varied answers, or much detail.

Example Sales Box office figures Website hits TV ratings

Qualitative Research Definition

Research that goes more in depth, finding out opinions, beliefs, and reasoning.

Presented as full text or discussions. Makes the person have to reflect and expand on their answer.

Advantages Uses open questions, meaning you can get more detailed

answers. Disadvantages

People may go off topic as open questions lead to less precise answers.

Example Interviews.

Audience Research

Definition Finding out about who consumes a product.

Advantages You find out who is the biggest consumer of the product, and

can work out how to change your product and how to market it better to best fit their needs and wants.

Disadvantages Answers could vary massively from person to person.

Example Using Facebook, and other forms of social media.

Market Research

Definition Finding out about the market place where a product is sold.

Advantages You find out what products already exist that are similar to yours

on the market, so you can make yours different. Disadvantages

Finding this information out can set you back on your timescale and cost more money if you need to change what you’re doing.

Example Survey.

Production Research

Definition Finding information and resources required to produce a piece

of media. Advantages

To know what equipment and software to use to best suit. Disadvantages

Takes a lot of time to get/make possibly costing more money.

Example The making of a film.

Terminology Objective

Research that is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions.

Subjective Research that has been influenced by personal

feelings or opinions. Valid

Whether the research proposed is able to answer the intended outcome/question.

Reliable Research that produces accurate and consistent

results.

Harvard Referencing

Name of the film being researched; Les Misérables

1. Film: Hooper, T. (2012) Les Misérables

2. Book: Hugo, V. (1862) Les Misérables

3. Website: Tumblr [https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/les-miserables]

4. Magazine Article: Wallis, L. (2013) BBC News