research methods

research methods

quantitive: research that involves numerical data.

qualitative: research that involves non numerical data.


primary research: 

• observation
• surveys/ questionnaires
• focus groups
• interview
• qualitative (non- numerical data)

secondary research:

• online research
• documentaries
• books
• internet
• blogs
• magazines/ newspapers
• tv programmes
• quantitative ( numerical data)

who can do/ does audience research?

someone who organises the media project

when should audience research be done?

before, during, after

why should audience research be completed?

to work out how successful your product may be in certain audiences.

what research methods can be used?

primary, secondary.

surveys/ questionnaires:

provide you with accurate and measurable data.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Quick to design and send out to large samples	Not able to gain detail behind the responses
Easy to measure	Doesn’t ensure responses from relevant participants

interviews: 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Able to gain in depth responses	Not as easy to measure and analyse
Ensures the participants you are speaking to will be relevant to your research	Participants could be influenced by the interviewer or the interviewing environment

focus groups:

a group interview with a twist.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Able to generate extra data from the group interaction	Not as easy to measure and analyse
Allows a large sample size for qualitative data collection	The researcher could have less control in a focus group setting compared to an interview

observation:

he final kind of research is observation, in which the researcher observes the participants and collects quantitative data in a natural setting. 

Advantages	Disadvantages
Can compare the data to responses from participants to make a comparison	The observations can not be generalised
Generates relevant and quantifiable data	If a group is aware they are being observed, they may behave differently