Primary and Secondary Research

1. Primary and Secondary Research
A2 Media Studies
James Bell 16/09/2015

2. Research Planning
Aim: to develop a systematic approach in
research for the advanced Portfolio Project.
Learning Objectives
• Define Primary and Secondary Research.
• Update Research on your chosen Media brief
using notes from within the following
presentation.
• Review media Proposal.

3. Research Planning
• Primary Research.
– Primary research is new research, carried out to
answer specific issues or questions. It can involve
questionnaires, surveys or interviews with individuals
or small groups.
• Secondary Research
– Secondary research makes use of information
previously researched for other purposes and publicly
available. This is also known as 'desk research'.
Secondary research includes published research
reports in a library, surveys or the Internet.

4. Primary Research
• Questionnaire
– How many people do you want to complete the
questionnaire
– You will need to explain why you targeted these
people (Age, gender or some other defining
factor)
– Carefully think through your approach “open
questions allow individuals to offer their opinion”.
“Closed Questions generate a more defined
response”

5. Primary Research
Your research planning will also include and
analysis of your initial ideas
(a) Evaluation of the three exam briefs and list ideas that you could do
for each. Also consider the strengths and weaknesses of each brief
and why you chose a particular brief.
(b) Generate ideas for a particular exam brief:
Originality test? In what way does your media product Use, Develop, or Challenge the
forms and conventions of a real media product.

6. Primary Research
• Interviews
– Interviews can be done with individuals or groups.
– You might consider recording the interview
– Carefully think through your approach create
questions with your interview subject in mind….

7. Primary Research
• Textual Analysis
– This is your personal analysis on the study of
media texts
– You might also compare your response to the style
or messages within a media text to that of others.

8. Secondary Research
This will include:-
• Secondary textual analysis* i.e. popular criticisms
written on texts related to a chosen area.
• Biographical information.
• Contextual information – information on the social,
political and ideological context relevant to your are
• Audience related research ie. expectations, their
profile, etc.
• Institutional detail: i.e. details about the companies
and and organisations that are significant within your
area.

10. Research and Planning
Primary
Research
Secondary
Research
Initial ideas
presentation;
Questionnaire
and results
presentation;
Textual analyses
Secondary
research
report
Pre-
Production
Documents
Production schedule;
Budget; Treatment;
Scripts; Storyboards;
Location scout
images; Site plans;
Risk assessments;
Release forms; Call
sheets; ‘Skeleton’
layouts; Mock-ups

11. Research Methodology
• To help FOCUS your research
• Define your sub-topic area clearly.
– Example “Romance film”
– Subtopic area “Gender issues within the Film industry”
– Example Horror film
– Subtopic area “Media consumption and violence within society”
– Example Food advertisement
– Subtopic area “ Adult Food Consumption and advertising techniques”
• Identify the Breadth of the topic.
– You are limited by time for your research
• what areas (sub topics) do you intend to research,
• what have you discounted?

12. Research Methodology
• To help FOCUS your research
Evaluation of information
• In addition to the research investigations it is ESSENTIAL that you EVALUATE the
information that you have collected.
Referencing.
• List the Source, the author and date of each source of publication you find.
• This includes all information sourced from the internet
• ALL quotations that are noted must also be credited
• use the convention “ “ Name of originator and Source.

13. End Notes
• Textual analysis of film & Media products requires observing and
questioning all the elements that create meaning within the piece,
such as acting, directing, lighting, cinematography, mise en scene,
etc. Besides noticing the individual elements that create a film’s
meaning, textual analysis also involves understanding how the film
fits into the larger context of its social, historical, cultural and
political environment. So textual analysis also requires researching a
film’s genre, audience as well as its historical, institutional, and
socio-cultural significance. It’s only in combining both that we can
create a thorough understanding of the film.
• Source
http://understandingfilm.wikifoundry.com/page/1.+Textual+Analysi
s