Unit 3.1:
Research Technique for the Creative Media Industry
Research
Techniques for the Creative Media Industries
The Creative Media Industry revolves
around various types of research. The types of research are sectored into
different stages of gathering research to be able to collect numerous amounts
of selective information.
The Sectored research techniques
stages are: Primary, Secondary, Qualitative and Quantitative.
Primary Research
Primary research is first-hand information,
which the researcher has independently collected. Primary research can be
gathered through numerous methods including, interviews, observations, focus groups
and questionnaires.
Interviews can be structured into
three individual ways, Structured, Semi-structured and Unstructured. Structures
are used in interviews to make a strategic ideal plan for the interviewer to
gather as much information as he/she can. A structured interview is based up on the
certain questions that the interviewer has planned and set in an order, these
questions are more likely to be closed questions than open. Structured
interviews are structured in a critical, intimidating and aggressive approach.
For example Jeremy Paxman, is an English broadcaster and journalist. Jeremy
Paxman is a known journalist who used to work for the BBC, he was primarily
known for his strategic style within interviews. Jeremy Paxman used the
methodology of structured interviews; he used the specific structure for his
interviews, because of the interviewees he had to interview, who were the
majority of the time, politicians.
Semi-structured interviews are
structured in a similar method as structured, but are drawn more towards open
questions and can be intimidating. Semi-structured interviews are also more
responsive to exploring an open question and would have the method of repeating
a specific question until the interviewer has received the answer they had
wanted. For an example of a journalist who uses semi-structured interviews
would be Louis Theroux.
Louis Theroux is an English
journalist and broadcaster, his signature platform within the media industry is
documentaries. Louis Theroux uses semi-structured interviews because of the
specific platform which he uses; documentaries would use the methodology of
semi-structured, because of the semi-structured, structure which enables the
use of open questions. Open questions provide the ability to receive
opinionated answers, which is also quoted by Pole and Lampard, Pole and Lampard (2002) “Structural questions which invite the interviewee to explain how
things happen”. (P139)
Unstructured interviews do not use
a strategic method of structured and prepared questions. Unstructured
interviews are specified in the development of questions and to be expanded
through out the process of an interview. Although for the preparation of the interview,
the interviewer would have a knowledge and idea of what type of questions to
ask the interviewee. An example of an individual which also works within the
media industry and uses the method of unstructured interviews would be Oprah
Winfrey.
Oprah Winfrey is an American proprietor
and hosts her own talk show, where she interviews celebrities. Oprah Winfrey
uses the methodology of unstructured interviews, because her topical genre is
platform as a talk show which would have the concept of a friendly conversation.
Although Oprah Winfrey would have a structural idea and arrangements of certain
questions to ask, which she would be able to expand on from the method of open
questions.
The advantages of the individual research
category can be; the most beneficial advantage of primary research can be the
amount of control that the researcher can have, in order to receive a limitless
amount of information. The researcher can set boundaries on the topic that
he/she would like to observe by choosing the quantity amount of research they
are looking to require.
Primary research can also use and focus on the
elements of quantitative and qualitative research; this can also be beneficial
to the researcher. Using quantitative and qualitative research can be more
valuable than gathering quantitative and qualitative research from authorized
information such as, Secondary research. The reason of this, is because of it
being Secondary research, the information could have valid results.
The advantages of primary research
could be the certain element of type of research being able to collect a
various amount of first-hand information, unlike secondary.
The disadvantages of primary
research however can be time consuming and could have a great amount of
requirements in order to gather the information.
Secondary Research
Secondary research is an authorized
evaluation of gathered information for others to observe. The formula of
secondary research is based up on source data, which is used within certain
resources of; books, websites, authorized surveys & charts and social
media.
Advantages of secondary research
could be involving; guidance for the researcher to observe, such as the quote
of McQueen and Knussen, McQueen and Knussen (2002) “The Scope of secondary data will often exceed what the individual
might achieve on their own”. (P26)
Secondary research could also be an
advantage for the researcher to gather information that is required for certain
resources and material.
The disadvantages that secondary
research might have are the fact that the information gathered could stand to
be false. One other disadvantage could be, with the use of the information not
being evidential and not first-hand information.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is used
through primary research and secondary research. Qualitative research is based
up on text based information, including certain methods of; interviews, social
media and observational information. Qualitative research is more drawn towards
context other than Quantitative research, which revolves around facts and
figures.
Advantages of qualitative research
could be the detailed element of the research technique being able to provide
opinionated information and a great amount of information.
The disadvantages towards
qualitative research could be; the use of the type of research not being able
to give factual percentages of information, and with the certain elements of
the research being text based information, the information the type of research
provides could be difficult for some researchers to acknowledge.
The concept of Qualitative research
is initiated with opinionated and context evaluations. The construction of
Qualitative research compared to Quantitative research, provides the ability to
enable the use of open-questions. Using this method of research can establish
the resource of opinionated answers, which can give more unique and responsive
answers.
Qualitative research also provides
an opportunity to explore and exceed within the gathering of information, which
McQueen and Knussen quoted, McQueen and Knussen (2002) “Qualitative research approaches explore and describe, explain and
predict”. (P28)
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research subjected to
facts and figures, which covers surveys, charts and graphs. Quantitative research
is engaged in closed questions because of its method of being able to be
quantified in figures. A closed question is a question that is shortened into a
yes or no answer, other than an open question, this enables closed questions to
be implemented into graphs and charts.
The disadvantage that this research
technique may have could be the aspect of the research technique only being
able to configure quantified facts and figures.
One advantage of this research technique can be
the element of it being based around facts and figures, can be easy to
acknowledge.
Methods and Sources of Research
The methods of the research
techniques of primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative are sectored
into each individual technique including the certain stages of research.
Primary research covers certain methods which includes quantitative and
qualitative techniques, these methods can be; Interviews, observations and
surveys.
These methods are used efficiently
to enhance and enforce certain information gathered and provide evidential
research.
The methods that are second-hand
information can be consumed from various methods and resources from; websites,
books/magazines and reviews. These individual methods can be confidential for
guidance for elements, which cover various topics. Secondary research also is
insinuated with quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Purposes of Research
The Purposes of research using
these stages of individual techniques and methods are used throughout the media
industry to target and recover valuable research of audiences, marketing and
products. Companies use these methods to receive and create an ideal product
for an audience that exists in the present generation; this product could be
evaluated to various amounts of individual products. e.g. The product could be
a T.V program which is displayed on a specific channel, let’s say for instance,
the program could be ‘EastEnders’ which is scheduled on BBC 1.
For the research of this programme,
the distributors would research on the specific audience that would be targeted
on this product. The distributors would receive information on individual
marketing websites such as ‘BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board)’.
This specific website ‘BARB’
assembles audience measurements and T.V ratings. This website would give a
clear vision on how well the programme is performing, by the numbers of ratings
across the country. Gather this information the distributors would observe the
ratings throughout weeks to receive a good indication of results.
The reason they would review the
results throughout a long period of time is to receive a ratio of figures to
indicate which programme is performing the best at the same schedule. For
instance the chosen programme ‘EastEnders’ would be comparison to ‘Coronation
Street’, because of it being the same category ‘Soaps’.
There are other sectored market
research companies that acquire certain categories such as, ‘RAJAR’ & ‘The
National Readership Survey (NRS)’. RAJAR’s audience research revolves around the
specific category of radio, RAJAR measures radio for audience in the UK. As for The NRS, they measure the specific
audiences for newspapers and magazines.
The media industry uses target
group methods such as, the Demographics and Socio-economic groups to distribute
their products. The Demographic grading is created by ‘The National Readership
Survey (NRS). There are other surveys that are used to target their audiences
such as, ‘British Market Research Bureau’ and ‘Target Group index’.
There are other companies that also
have their own separate research surveys that use similar methods like NRS. The
specific survey that the National Readership Survey created involves a sectored
table that indicates each working class from unemployed to higher management. Companies’
uses these tables to specify which audience their product will target.
Bibliography
McQueen and Knussen (2002) Research Methods
for Social Science, an introduction (P26 & P28).
Prentice Hall.
London.
Pole and Lampard (2002) Practical Social
Investigation. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in
Social Research (P139). Prentice Hall,
London.
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