This document outlines the tasks required for a secondary research project on music magazines. It includes 4 main tasks: 1) Research existing music magazine institutions and genres, 2) Conduct primary audience research with a questionnaire and focus group, 3) Create reader profiles and flat plans of existing magazines, 4) Write an evaluation reflecting on what was learned. It provides details on the individual steps for each task and advises completing the initial research this week, with focus groups and analysis over half term to meet the February 16th deadline.
by Olivier Walther
Centre for Population, Poverty and Public Policy Studies, Luxembourg, 2nd Working Group meeting, West African Futures: settlement, market and food security, 27-28 October 2011.
2. Decide on the genre of Music
magazine you will produce
Write a brief paragraph explaining
why you have chosen this genre
and what you hope to achieve.
3. Task 1: Secondary Research
• To complete the secondary research task you will need to:
1. Research into several magazine institutions that produce
similar products as well as the products themselves.
▫ Produce a PowerPoint/Prezi illustrating:
▫ The main features of these institutions
▫ What are their primary magazines?
▫ Who are their target audience?
▫ How do they advertise and appeal to their target audience?
2. Produce a PowerPoint/Prezi applying Uses and
Gratifications to magazine production and consumption
4. Task 1: Secondary Research cont…
3. Research into several genre specific music magazines, analysing the
codes and conventions of these magazines as well as how they appeal to
their target audience.
▫ Analyse (in detail)
▫ 5 music genre specific magazine front covers
▫ 5 music genre specific magazine contents pages
▫ 5 music genre specific magazine double page spreads
• During this analysis consider:
▫ Conventions
▫ Layout and page design
▫ Integration of illustration and text
▫ Variety of fonts and text sizes
▫ Mode of Address
▫ Mise en Scene
▫ HOW THESE ELEMENTS TARGET THEIR AUDIENCE
4. After completing this you will also produce a Flat Plan for 2 existing
genre specific music magazines
5. Task 2: Primary Research
• To complete this task you will create:
1. An audience questionnaire
2. Analysed results of the audience questionnaire
3. Take part in a focus group presenting your ideas to a
group of your peers and gaining feedback from this.
4. Create a reader profile for your magazine
▫ This media board should highlight:
▫ The key products used by this audience
▫ Key bands used by this audience
▫ Key trends associated with the audience
6. Task 3: Evaluation
1. Write an evaluation in the form of a PowerPoint/Prezi
reflecting on what you have learnt and how this will
affect your production.
• This should answer the questions:
▫ What you have learnt from your Front Cover analysis? How
will you use this for your own front cover?
▫ What you have learnt from your Contents Page analysis?
How will you use this for your own contents page?
▫ What you have learnt from your Double Page Spread
analysis? How will you use this for your own DPS?
▫ What you have learnt from you Questionnaire’s and Focus
Group? How will this feedback affect your product?
7. Deadlines and schedule
• The deadline for this work is the 16th of February
• The majority of this work will need to be completed over
half term
• You will start the research into Magazine Institutions
this lesson. You will be expected to finish this at home.
• Next lesson you will start making and asking your
questionnaire
• In the final lesson of the week you will conduct a focus
group with a group of your classmates
8. Advice
• Complete the Magazine Institutions research by the
end of this week
• In the lessons concentrate on completing your
questionnaire and focus group write ups
• Use Half Term to:
▫ Analyse your 5 FC, CP and DPS
▫ Create your flat plan of 2 existing magazines
▫ Create your overall reader profile
▫ Write your evaluation