This document provides guidance for a small scale research project focusing on developing broad research skills. It advises students to avoid closed-ended questions, develop a critical approach, and consider available resources when choosing a research topic. The document outlines types of primary and secondary research and recommends using mixed research methods. It also provides tips for referencing sources and assessing the value and reliability of research materials. The goal is for students to gain experience in researching while exploring an area of interest rather than answering a specific question.

1. FM3 Small Scale Research Project
Developing Research Skills

2. The Project
• Primary importance is the development of
broad ranging research skills
• Avoid questions as answers close down your
research
• Develop a critical approach to the topic

3. A journey

4. Finding an area for investigation
• What are you interested in? What do you
want to find out?
• Consider the resources available and what is
potentially available
• Seek advice from tutors, peers, experts
• Draw up a research plan. Plan the feasible
and the unfeasible
• Be extra critical – is it really possible to
complete?

5. Types of research
Primary Research
• Research that is directly generated by you and
is not mediated by anyone else
Secondary Research
• Research that has been undertaken or
‘filtered’ by another and is simply being used
or referenced by you (the researcher)

6. Primary Research
Includes:
– Learning conversations – name of person, place, date
– Interviews
– Questionnaires
– Own notes from reviewing films and associated
material
– Empirical experiment (practical research with
considered confines
– Action research (research through carrying out a role)
– Observational research (watching others performing
an action or undertaking a task)

7. Secondary Research
Includes:
– Internet
– Books
– DVD Extras
– Television programmes
– Radio programmes
– Archives
– Magazines
– Conferences
– Trade Shows

8. Mixed Methods – the ideal
Primary Research Secondary Research
Notes from Focus film Internet Sites
Notes from supporting films Several books
Interview with Art Director Some magazine articles
Practical experiment in A DVD Extra (making of)
Mise-en-scene A TV Documentary
Discussion with tutor A conference paper

9. Mixed Methods – The ideal
Quantitative data
• Research that produces numbers, percentages, data
that can be numerically assessed – useful for
comparative analysis (number of films made, box
office gross, times nominated for oscar etc)
Qualitative data
• Research that is more opinion based, and which
often looks at the reasons behind points of view,
responses, processes, actions etc

10. Research referencing
• Harvard Referencing for Books, Magazines etc
http://www.le.ac.uk/oerresources/ssds/harvard/
• Full URL and date accessed for all internet
sites
• Location and date of interviews and other
primary research activities (such as empirical
research)

11. Tools to help
• Neil’s Toolbox
• Harvard Generator
• Cite this for me

12. Assessing the value of Research items
• How much does the item relate to or inform
the area of investigation
• Does it provide simple background content or
does it present new knowledge or an
argument?
• Does it have validity (peer reviewed, primary
source, or user-generated and unassessed)
• How current is the item (not how new, but has
it been disproved or made invalid by later
material)?

13. Annotating the catalogue
• Items can be assessed for:
• Reliability (of method/ source)
• Validity (of method, or media, of source)
• Currency (current, respected, serious)
• Recency (older = more likely to have been
challenged)
• Accuracy (of content – proved with data and
with method
• Relevance (to the area of investigation, to the
thrust of the argument being presented)

14. Wikipedia
Not reliable as it is user-generated.
Check end references on an entry to assess this.
Go to the bottom of the page as there may be
some useful external sources.

15. Final Advice
• Youtube clips of a film cannot count as
additional to the film
• IMDb pages clustered around a film or
individual should be considered as a single
source (much like individual pages of a book)
• Images can be a research resource, but offer
more than simple illustration
• Primary research must be backed up with
other sources

16. The Presentation Script
(extract from The Principal Moderators Report)
• Marks are for the script provided, not a
presentation given
• Direct reference to catalogue material is a
requirement
• The chosen framework should be evident
throughout – balanced with the topic.
• An area of investigation – exploratory rather
than answering a question.