Research Dossier for Documentary Unit

Task: Conduct primary and secondary audience research/market research into the viability of your concept and present findings on your blog post under the post title 'Research Dossier' and using the three subheadings below:

1. Conduct secondary research

This may include:

• reading and other initial secondary research about your chosen subject (keep detailed notes on your findings)
• researching other archives for information on your chosen subject
• finding and watching existing documentaries that are similar to your idea
• looking at existing news stories based around your idea

2. Conduct primary research

This must include:

• creating and collecting responses from a survey / questionnaire which focuses on gauging  interest from your primary and secondary target audience

This may also include:

• arranging interviews with experts/witnesses/key persons as appropriate (create a contact sheet but don't publish on your blog) and holding pre-filming meetings 
• collating/presenting findings of these interviews and meetings on your blog post

3. Conduct production research and answer the following questions:

• initial consideration of the logistics/costings of practically realising your idea (eg., travel to locations, etc.) and complete budget sheet
• scout locations and complete recces (collect accompanying photographs)
• obtain permissions for locations and complete releases
• approach relevant interviewees and complete releases
• complete your production schedule whilst deciding what equipment you will need and when, then book it through the AV library
• what are the current UK laws on filming in public? (you can get information from other sources too!)
• do you need to consider libel or defamation?
• are you risking infringement of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code?
• read the Viewer Trust Guidelines from the Channel 4 website and highlight any key points that you find interesting or that might impact your production.

REMEMBER THAT ALL OF YOUR SOURCES SHOULD BE LISTED IN YOUR RESEARCH DOSSIER

AND YOU SHOULD BE FOLLOWING THE HARVARD SYSTEM OF REFERENCING.

Anglia Ruskin University, 2015. Quick Harvard Guide 2015. [pdf] Available at:<http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/files/QuickHarvardGuide2015.pdf> [Accessed 10 April 2016]. 

What makes a good questionnaire?

1. always ask for age, gender and occupation - this will allow you to analyse that data in greater depth but it also helps when particularly looking at how your target audience responded. The most important thing however, is to ask the right people; there is no point handing out a questionnaire about horror films to a 10 year old as their knowledge will likely be limited and their responses won't be helpful. Find and target your proposed audience in order to get the most useful data
2. before writing your questionnaire, make sure you know what you want to find out
3. work out the best way to gather responses; you may find that people react differently when responding face to face as opposed to completing a survey online
4. survey questions must be relevant; a few well-worded questions are a lot more useful than a long list of poorly-worded questions. Try to ensure that you don't ask leading questions but also ensure that you are specific and you ask a question that will provide you with useful and usable information
5. ask a range of open and closed questions but ensure you allow the respondent to leave detailed responses when you need them
6. proof your own work first and then ask someone else to check it - mistakes make you look unprofessional. You should also write formally and not include any slang or colloquial language; you want those who fill your questionnaire in to be mature and sensible so you should be too.

Please note, if you use a website / web app to create your questionnaire, make sure you get the embed code, in order to put the survey on your blog, at the time of sending it out. Too often, students lose or forget their log on details and have to re-type the questionnaire later! You should obviously write down your username and password to avoid this anyway!!

The Nature and Purposes of Research

Your blog post title: The nature and purposes of research in the creative media industries 

Research is fundamental to all aspects of creative media production and is the essential starting point for productions of any scale. It can be used to determine the financial viability of a future production, to gather a range of information relevant to the content of the production, or to assist with the planning of technical and logistical requirements.

There are also media companies which conduct extensive research using a range of sophisticated methods to gather data about audience consumption of media products and services. This has become increasingly necessary in the highly mixed and competitive environment media industries operate in. But an ability to undertake research is essential for anyone working in the media industries and is vital in many stages of production and distribution.

To complete this unit you need to demonstrate that you understand why and how research is conducted in the creative media industries. The maximum word limit is 1000 words. Remember to proof read your work before submission and check for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.  As always use examples of your own research from your documentary.


Types/methods of research:

Primary research/self-generated research
What are some examples? Interview techniques, observations, questionnaires, surveys, types of questions, focus groups, audience panels, participation in internet forums (self-generated e.g., own video, audio or photographic records of events).

1. Define primary research
2. What did you do?
3. List examples from your project.

Secondary research 
What are some examples? Books, journals, reference-based books and directories, periodicals, newspapers, film archives, photo libraries, worldwide web, searching internet forums, CD Rom databases, audio material, ratings, circulation figures, government statistics.

1. Define secondary research
2. What did you do?
3. List examples from your project.

Pros and Cons
1. What are the advantages of primary research over secondary and what are the advantages of secondary over primary? Do you think one form is more useful / purposeful than the other?

Quantitative research
What are some examples? Programme ratings, readership circulation figures, hits on a website, box office figures, sales of CDs and DVDs.

1. Define quantitative research
2. What did you do?
3. List examples from your project.


Qualitative research
What are some examples? Film reviews, game reviews, fanzine websites, attitudes to media products, responses to news coverage, responses to advertising campaigns, discussion.

1. Define qualitative research
2. What did you do?
3. List examples from your project.

Pros and Cons
1. What are the advantages of quantitative research over qualitative and what are the advantages of qualitative over quantitative? Do you think one form is more useful / purposeful than the other?

Data gathering agencies
What are some examples? Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB), Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd (RAJAR).

1. Explain what the BARB does. Also, IMDB and Boxofficemojo can be mentioned.
2. Search for either 'media research agencies' or 'data gathering agencies' and you will find a range of good examples.


Purposes of research:

Audience and Market research 
What are some examples? Audience data, audience profiling, demographics, geodemographics, consumer behaviour, consumer attitudes, audience awareness; product market, competition, competitor analysis, advertising placement, advertising effects

1. What did you do?
2. Explain the audience research from your project.


Production research
What are some examples? Content, viability, placement media, finance, costs, technological resources, personnel, locations.

1. What did you do?
2. What evidence can you provide from your own work?

Extension Activity

Go back through your post and add a specific example of each type of research from the creative media industries, for example, questionnaires are used during test screenings to gauge audience responses about an upcoming film, here is an example about Spiderman: Homecoming. You will need to add links and print screens and a sources list either in the paragraph or as a bibliography at the end.

FOR THOSE ONLY DOING ONE YEAR

1. Create a new post called 'Research Portfolio' and put the following in it, from the advertising unit:

• Unilever pitch prezi
• TV advert analysis prezi
• Advertisement questionnaire & accompanying graphs and charts flipbook
• Recces, location releases, talent releases, budget sheet

2. Complete the 'Nature and Purposes of Research' post and fill it with links to and examples of research completed for the advertising unit (and Depict, if needed).

Put these three posts under a new label, 'D. Assignment 3: Research'