This document provides an introduction to research skills for a documentary production unit. It outlines the objectives of learning about primary and secondary research methods, including qualitative and quantitative approaches. Examples of primary research methods discussed are audience research through questionnaires and interviews. Secondary research examples mentioned are accessing existing audience data and reviews of similar documentaries. The document provides guidance on developing research plans and analyzing case studies to inform the documentary project. It stresses the importance of properly citing and referencing sources.

1. HNC Unit 61: Moving Image Documentary Production
Unit 2 Research Skills
Introduction to Research Skills

2. Lesson Objectives
• To consider different approaches to research including
primary and secondary research
• To begin to develop primary and secondary research
material for your Documentary Production
• Understand the difference between; Primary, Secondary,
Qualitative, Quantative

3. FOR A PASS YOU NEED TO:
• LO1 Be able to apply research methods and procedures in creative media
production contexts
• LO2 Be able to ensure the accuracy and validity of research material
• LO3 Be able to present research outcomes with due compliance
• LO4 Be able to evaluate research processes and outcomes

4. Four main methods of
research
• Primary
• Secondary
• Quantitative
• Qualitative

5. PRIMARY RESEARCH
Researchers use different methods of research in order
to collate different types of evidence.
Primary research is important as it is new research
conducted by you
This means you can tailor the research to your specific
project
• Usually has a specific purpose
• Original data not copied

6. Audience Research
• An important process that underpins all media
production
• Everything we watch or consume has been
carefully planned and researched to make them
as successful as possible
• Methods of primary research include
Questionnaires or interviews with potential
audiences

7. Example questionnaire

8. Questionnaires
• A questionnaire can help you find out whether an audience is
interested in your project idea
• Who is MOST interested in your project idea meaning that
you can market it accordingly to the right gender, age group
etc
• You can create a simple questionnaire in Google docs
• Tutorial here
• Task: Create a questionnaire using Google docs for your
documentary film project and send it to as many people as
you can.

9. A good questionnaire
A good questionnaire should be short and focused
• What is your gender?
• What is your age range?
• Are you in education?
• What types of documentary do you watch?
• Where do you watch documentaries? (online, TV at the cinema)
• Would you watch a documentary about…
• How would you prefer to watch this documentary (online, TV at the cinema)

10. Interviews
• You can also conduct interviews with groups of relevant
people
• This is often called a focus group.
• We can do an element of this as part of our pitching
session
• Task: Collate the information from the feedback forms
after your presentation/pitch

11. SECONDARY RESEARCH
•Research done by someone else
•Can be used alongside other primary research
•TV viewing figures and box office results are compiled
every week and used by lots of different companies
•Box Office Mojo is a searchable site with box office figures
•Example: Grizzly Man
Task: See if you can find some audience/box office
research on a documentary similar to yours. Was it
successful?

12. Book selection/Reading
You should have a list of books and articles that you are
planning to review as part of your research
There are many books available in the library…
Task – source at least three books from the College library/Bedfordshire library
And read them…

13. College Library

14. Example titles

15. University of Bedfordshire
• As a HE student you also have access to the Library
catalogue at the university of Bedfordshire
• Go to the VLE>learning Resources>Higher Education
Students>University of Bedfordshire Learning Resources
• http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/

16. Case Studies
• You should have at least two case studies on films that
relate to your project
• These should be Documentary films that have inspired
you.
• You will need to do a film analysis of each of these films
• Looking at the themes, camera style, editing style etc
• You could also look at the marketing and distribution of
the film
Link to research sites to watch documentaries

17. QUANTITIVE RESEARCH
•Facts
•Can be shown as a set of numbers
•Can be displayed as charts and graphs
•Can be measured

19. QUALITITIVE RESEARCH
•Opinions and views
•Helps to find out the way people feel
•Responses are personal
•Cannot really be measured
•Example you could conduct one-one interviews to get
deeper feedback

20. Advice on research methods
• Common sense – don’t forget this!
• Articles and books reporting similar research –
should be discussed in the project
• Books on research methods in general
o Focus on chapters relevant to your project.
o If your researching Documentary for example get a book on Documentary
or a chapter within a book

21. Types of research include …
• Audience surveys analysed statistically
• Small scale surveys with emphasis on “qualitative” detail
• Case studies (on a relevant filmmaker or film)
• Test screening (observe as participant)
• Evaluation
• … and may other possibilities …be imaginative!
Many projects combine several of these

22. How to do research
• Read around your topic e.g Homelessness
• Draft a research plan. What methods will you use?
• Draft literature review. What books will you look
at?
• Put your research plan on your blog under a new
page ‘Research Techniques’
• Do your research/analysis
• Draft research/analysis and
recommendations/conclusions post on your blog
• Check it fits together and revise all sections
• If it doesn’t fit together revise aims and …

23. References and citations
• You must give references to publications which
you draw on or quote
• Exact (word for word) quotes must be in “…”
and the reference must be given
o Maximum about one paragraph
• Use one of the standard referencing systems –
preferably the Harvard (see university website)
• Copying word for word without “…” and
reference is treated as cheating and you will fail!