Research Methods When researching into the background of media a good researcher will use a range of methods to get

results. Using different methods when collecting information will contribute to finding a more precise answer and a more realistic, precise p icture. Researchers may collect different types of data to test their hypothesis ; these would be Quantitative or Qualitative data, some being more detailed whil e others just an insight to what they are researching. Having two different types of methods to conduct research is used to gather diff erent types of data. A researcher may decide to use quantitative data which is s tatistic based data; it uses numerical data from participants to answer the ques tion. Ways of collecting quantitative data would be by using statistics; box off ice receipts, audience figures and cinema bookings, age ranges. This data would be used when collecting figures, for example finding out the most popular movie of the week, or the highest audience figures for a programme. It may also be use d for background research; they may need to find out what type of film is popula r for different generations, and what an appropriate film certificate would be f or the film. This type of data is factual, this may be used as it is easier to c ompare and graph the results. The reason a researcher may use quantitative data because it is not opinion based which means the results will be truthful and wil l not be able to take a one sided answer. Researchers may choose to use Quantitative data because it s quick and easily co llected. When taking data in numbers it is also easily gathered and then put int o results which, when researching into media there is a variety of different way s to collect facts, also when looking for this type of data is would be easier, as there would be no one withholding the information unlike taking information f rom such places as government officials on crime statistics. On the other hand a researcher may choose to have a more in depth way of produci ng their data, by using the qualitative method which is opinion based this will give a more detailed answer. To get this information a researcher may use review s, questionnaires and interviews, they may decide to use this method because the y will be able to get peoples opinion, for example, although a film may have had high box office receipts the reviews may be negative. This way of research may be more time consuming as gathering interviews and questionnaires would need to be produced and distributed. Also people may have different opinions of the film , whereas some people may think highly of the film others may not. When researching into media there is a variety of different sources which can be used for gathering research in either qualitative or quantitative forms. People may choose print media; such as factual books to find specific information, thi s may be useful although keeping up with current trends may be difficult when us ing books as they can have dated information. Other forms would be news papers a nd magazines, these types of media are usually used because they are keeping up with current trends, they are also published on a regular basis which would also be useful. Although newspapers are a popular form of collecting information, in certain newspapers and magazines the information may be interpreted differently as they use the information to entertain an audience. Newspapers also can becom e bias in some situations, for example each newspaper usually supports a politic al group. Information is also found in magazines although magazines are mainly c reated for gossip which may result in false information. There are also specific types of magazines which also hold information, magazines such as BARBS which giv e statistics on entertainment ratings and audience ratings on certain programmes at certain times. Other ways of collecting research would involve using the internet, as the inter net has become more popular; people find it easier to search for answers online. Most people type their questions into search engines such as Google and Bing, usual

ly the first result which is available is Wikipedia, most people use Wikipedia f or ease, although some information may be incorrect. For more reliable informati on, researchers may use official websites such as government statistics website. People may need to find sources which link to primary information using witnesse s is a good source if researching into media, for such cases as new broadcasting in a news report witnesses are used as a form of information also. Other people who may be useful in terms of research would be experts and professionals in th e certain are, such as scientists or professors, these people would usually be u sed when shooting a documentary or on the news. Research is always important when creating a piece of media. When creating a pie ce of media researchers will have to look into the background research. The firs t point they need to consider is what their target audience is, by completing re search about audience you will be able to understand what type of people you wil l be targeting your piece of media at. If a researcher was creating a childrens p rogramme they may look statistics of what is the most popular childs television p rogramme currently, the times in which childrens programmes are usually listed. T o find further information, a researcher may use questionnaires and interviews g iven out to children about what their interests are and what kind of television they enjoy watching. Completing research around the area may also help, such as reading childrens books and watching childrens programmes to find out what is popu lar. If creating a news programme or a documentary, it is also useful to do as much r esearch as possible. Finding background information is needed when planning th e content. A researcher would need to find reliable information if creating a do cumentary as this type of programme is factual. If creating a news programme, u sually the research would need to be more in-depth, finding accurate information and additional types of information such as collecting evidence and using inter views. As media is a very competitive market understanding competition is also necessar y. When creating a piece of media a researcher will also need to understand thei r competition. When creating a magazine, a magazine usually belongs to a oligopo ly, certain magazines may decide to choose a certain company to sponsor them bec ause they do not already have that type of magazine. Research may also be needed when creating media as it will give you an idea of t he costs, if a researcher was to produce a music video, they would need to find out what type of budget they needed, creating a glamorous video with state of th e arch camera equipment would cost more. If they were to shoot a short budget vi deo they would not need as much equipment or money. By researching into certain cameras you would be able to find out what camera would be ideal for the type of shots you need, also when budgeting, the researcher would need to understand th at a certain type of camera may be more ideal as it would be more versatile for certain shots and locations. A location is also another aspect which a researche r would need to look into, finding certain locations to fit a specific shot may be difficult as the location would need to fit the theme or the type of video be ing shot, for example when creating a slow, mellow song, a ideal location would be a quite, tranquil setting. Once a researcher has chosen an ideal location th ey may also need to look into health and safety, and would the location be safe to film in. for example if a researcher was to shoot a documentary on gang cultu re they would have to be aware of the location and people around them. Over all I feel that research is vital when creating a piece of media. Using dif ferent methods of research may make it easier, or more detailed depending on how thorough you decide to research. Using a variety of methods such as statistics, figures, or reviews would give better results.