This document summarizes the results of research conducted for a student magazine project. Secondary research was used to analyze the codes and conventions of existing magazines. Primary research methods included creating questionnaires to understand student interests and holding a focus group. The focus group provided useful feedback, but could have been improved by asking more specific justification questions. Overall, the research gathered helpful insights to inform the creation of the student magazine.

1. Student Magazine Project

2. Connotations of an existing Student
Magazine

3. Connotations of an existing Student
Magazine (front cover).

4. Connotations of an existing Student
Magazine double page spread

5. Purpose of the research conducted
Student Magazine Project
On the slides 4-5 I have discussed the areas based on the Student Magazine project. The same
process was used, within the Mix Mag project, in terms of understanding the codes and
conventions of how a particular magazine was formatted. This overall was another piece of
secondary research, as I was using existing magazines to help me annotate and discuss certain
aspects of that product.
As I have previously done a similar task based around the printing industry this task was much
easier to complete in comparison to the first task. Having previous experience meant that I was
able to bring fourth the current skills I already had in order to complete this exercise.
As this is the second time completing a task based in this area it now means that I have even
more experience for future references. Not only could it be based on a magazine product but it
could also be used in various formats such as; posters, leaflets or banners. Having that standing
skill of being able to annotate a magazine piece can therefor mean that I have the option to
transfer that skill onto other similar products.

6. Task 5 Student Magazine

7. Task 5 original

8. Task 5 annotation
(secondary research)
The reason for this assignment was so we could have a more understanding of the
student magazine project. As the client wanted us to do a magazine based on
the SSFC, it was important to understand various aspects of the Sixth Form
such as the; Background history of the organisation, courses offered by SSFC,
the organisational structure, student bodies/committees, and additional
facilities. When doing the report I found it easier to break up each aspect
which I would then use secondary research to help discuss the specific topics.
The strengths of this report was that, personally, I thought I showed a clear
understanding of the different aspects based on the College. Using clear
subtitles also shows that I am ensuring all aspects are covered and explained
to detail. My weakness however, would be that I only used limited sources
which were the actual College website and Wikipedia. I thought that by
keeping them limited would give me only factual information which would be
more reliable. However if I were to do this project again I would definitely
expand the sources I use as I could find out new, interesting information giving
me the option to have a wider idea on the concept.

9. Job Roles Student Magazine

10. Job Roles report
These are some screen shots I have taken from the Job Roles report. As you
can see I am discussing various job roles with the other roles being; Layout
and design manager, News/Features Editor, Sports Editor, Entertainment
Editor and Marketing and Advertising Manager.

11. Job Role Annotation
The reason for this report was to understand various job roles, with the result
of you being able to choose the job role which you think would be best suited
for you. Throughout each job role there were five questions that were needed
to be taken into account when describing and explaining each role. These
were; what qualifications would be needed to fulfil this role in a professional
context?, what skills are needed?, who will you be managing and why?, what
are the main responsibilities? And who are you responsible for?. This report
would be seen as secondary research, the reason being is I used various
websites to help be have a greater understanding of the role. The core
information I had provided would then be interpreted into my own words and
overall opinion. The strengths would be that I covered all roles with detailed
explanation, however I think I was very dependant on the Daily Mail when
researching the job role requirements in terms of qualifications and skills. So
in the future if I were to do this similar researching method again, I would
expand the sources I used to gain extra knowledge.

12. Questionnaire templates and
results

13. Student Magazine Questionnaire
template
This is a print screen showing
the a questionnaire that I
created for the Student
Magazine. The two
questionnaires shown are both
primary researching methods.
The reason being is that I have
formed the questions myself
with it also being based on the
product which I created myself.

14. Student Magazine questionnaire results
This report is based on the results I received when gathering all of my questionnaires back. This was primary
research as I did it myself from my own assembled results. Overall I think there was some very mixed opinions
on the various aspects discussed, which may be used in the Student Magazine. I came to my own judgment
that not always the highest option is something that will be useful within the magazine. The justification of
their answer made me think that the option they chose was more reliable than students that ticked a box
and didn’t provide a justification. I think this questionnaire has been very beneficial for when coming to do
the magazine, there has been mixed views and will be very useful for when the ideas are discussed with my
peers. The weakness of this questionnaire would be that students didn’t always justify their answers which
didn't give me a lot of feedback to review and discuss within this report.

15. Focus Group feedback

16. Focus group feedback document
This is a document based on the
write up results from a focus group
I out-took in relations to my
Student Magazine. As you can see
I have broken up the documents is
segments, with the first sub-title
being based on the specific
questions that were asked. This
report was overall primary
research, the reason being is I
created the questions myself and
used students from the College to
answer them. If I were to use focus
group responses from the internet
then this would be secondary
research.

17. Focus group annotation
The reason I out-took a focus group was to see the ideas students would prefer to
others, helping me make a better decision when coming to select what events
would be published in the finalized student magazine. My strengths of this focus
group would be that I was being specific when referring to the questions such as;
which 3 events interest you the most and which 3 events do not interest you?.
However my weakness would be that I wasn't very specific when I got the peers
to justify their answers. I think if I was more specific when asking them to justify
it would have been more beneficial when writing up my questionnaire for the
student magazine. I also think that I could have asked more questions, opening
the variety of questions used and the different aspects they could have been
based on.