Types of research
- quantitative research, eg programme ratings, readership circulation figures, hits on a website, box office figures, sales of CDs and DVDs;
- qualitative research, eg film reviews, game reviews, fanzine websites, attitudes to media products, responses to news coverage, responses to advertising campaigns, discussion
Methods and sources of research
- secondary research (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);
- primary research (interview techniques, observations, questionnaires, surveys, types of questions, focus groups, audience panels, participation in internet forums); data gathering agencies, eg Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB), Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd (RAJAR); self-generated eg, own video, audio or photographic records of events
Purposes of research
- audience research (audience data, audience profiling, demographics, geodemographics, consumer behaviour, consumer attitudes, audience awareness);
- market research (product market, competition, competitor analysis, advertising placement, advertising effects);
- production research (content, viability, placement media, finance, costs, technological resources, personnel, locations)