How to address this question
 Using your research into how films are
created or other examples of how the media
industry carries out research you have to
explain the nature and purpose of research in
the industry using examples for the following
areas that you need to cover and include
correct terminology.
Nature and purpose of
research
 The nature of research or the types of
research are to do with the purpose of your
research. The nature falls into two areas the
types of research you carry out and the
methods and sources you should use.
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, , attitudes to media products,
responses to news coverage, responses to
advertising
Methods and sources of research links to whether they are
qualitative or quantitative
 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
Always ask yourself what is
the purpose of my research?
 Do I need qualitative or quantitative do I need
both?
 Do I need primary or secondary research or
do I need both.
 I.e if you wanted to research a making a film
you would need to carry out what types of
research and what methods?
How does this fit in with
these types
 Three types
 Audiences research:
 Market research
 Production research
Before you make the film
 You would need to carry out audience
research, and find out whether your
production would appeal to them, by
classifying them into demographics i.e SOC,
age, gender (explain what this is). You could
do this by carrying out market research i.e.
looking at similar products (use examples and
explain). You would then carry out production
research (explain what this in) i.e. costs and
resources.
What to do
 Use the following slides to help you, but
remember use examples explain why you
would use audience, market and production
research, explain what the purpose is, and
how you would use a combination of all
three. You might also want to talk about the
limitations of bias, and how these can be
overcome.
Audience research
 Examples:audience classification
 (socio-economic, age, gender, sexual
orientation, occupation, education); or
psychographics, media preferences; product
preferences; buying patterns
Market research
 Examples: looking at products in the market,
competition, competitor analysis, advertising
placement, advertising effects.
Production research
 Examples: content, viability, placement
media, finance, costs, technological
resources, personnel, locations