This document defines various research terminology used in media studies such as circulation, hits, box office figures, ratings, and sales. It also discusses different types of primary, secondary, quantitative, qualitative, audience, market, and production research methods as well as their advantages and disadvantages. Examples are provided for each research method.

1. Research
KALLUM SYKES

2. Terminology
• Circulation
– This is how many print product copies that have been distributed. For
example the circulation for the Sunday telegraph in December was
460,054.
• Hits
- This is how many times a webpage has been viewed. For example
Despacito has 4 Billion views on youtube.
• Box Office Figures
– This is how much money the Film/TV Show has made from being
viewed at the cinema
• Ratings
– This is the rating that something has been given (1/5, 5 starts, 70%)
• Sales
- This is how many products have been sold.

3. Primary Research
• Definition
– A definition of this is research that you do yourself. Also
where the people that are viewing and the people that are
researching are in direct contact.
• Advantages
– An advantage of this is that is has been personally collected,
so that means it directly relates to the researcher's study.
Another advantage is that the person that is collecting the
data is fully in control of how and where they get the
information from.
• Disadvantages
– A disadvantage of primary research is that it might not be
100% reliable because you don’t know if the website is
dodgy. Also another disadvantage is that it is frequently out-
dated.

4. Example of Primary Research
• Questionnaires/Surveys
- This is where you go round asking people a series of questions about a
product/subject.
- Both
• Interviews
- This is a chat between 2 people where one of them asks questions, this is
normally about a job.
- Quantitative
• Focus Groups
- This is a group of people that are asked questions. Most of them are from
different backgrounds.
- Qualitative
• Vox Pops
– This is normally a discussion about a certain topic with people that are often
in the streets.
– Qualitative
• Product Analysis
- Product analysis is critically discussing a product/text
- Qualitative

5. Secondary Research
• Definition
– This is studying previously undertaken research. Also another definition is
that using existing research in your own work.
• Advantages
– An advantage is that it is time and cost effective. Also another advantage
of this is that it is Extensiveness of data.
• Disadvantages
- A disadvantage of this is that you will have to give credit to people
that you have used their work. Also another disadvantage is that
it might not be easy to find.
• Example
– Internet research
– Library research
– Archive research

6. Quantitative Research
• Definition
– A definition of this is that it is expressed or expressible as an amount. Also it is
research that you can change and turn them into percentages, fractions and
numbers.
• Advantages
– This will be the truth because it is closed.
– Qualitative research is useful during the early stages of a study when the
researcher may be unsure of exactly what will be studied or what to focus on.
• Disadvantages
– Doesn't’t give you a well explained answer as it doesn't’t give as much information.
– The main disadvantage of quantitative research is the context of the study or
experiment is ignored.
• Examples
- Sales
- Box Office figures
- Website hits
- TV ratings

7. Qualitative Research
• Definition
• Qualitative research is research that goes into more in depth. Also it is
set out as full text or discussions. Another definition is that it makes
the user have to reflect and bring more ideas to the answer.
• Advantages
• An advantage of this is that it is carried out by using open questions.
• Disadvantages
• Not understood well by ‘classical’ researchers
• You need to have your specific target audience to get the correct
answers
• Example
• Reviews
• Responses
• Discussions
• Forums

8. Audience Research
• Definition
• Audience research is looking at who uses the product
• Advantages
• The interviewee is on their own so they will tell the truth. Also
audience research gets high views for a diverse audience.
• Disadvantages
• The interviewee can turn the conversation to make it their
own advantage.
• Example
• Interview
• Questionnaires
• Vox pops

9. Market Research
• Definition
• This is looking at the market place where they are selling a
product.
• Advantages
• Market research helps you find new prospects. This helps you
communicate with new clients. Also market research helps
you minimize risks.
• Disadvantages
• A disadvantage of market research is the time used and also
the people doing the interviews and questionnaires.
• Example
• An example of this is surveys using questionnaires or
interviews with a certain group.

10. Production Research
• Definition
• This is finding a place and resources that are needed to produce a piece of
media.
• Advantages
• An advantage is that you will be well prepared when you are going to
make the product because you have researched about it. Also you will be
able to see how long it will take to make.
• Disadvantages
• A disadvantage is that it takes time to get into the product before making
it because you have been doing a lot of research about of it.
• Example
– Production research is always needed when beginning a new product.

11. Terminology
• Objective
– This is research that is not made by personal feeling or
opinions.
• Subjective
– This is research that has been made by personal feelings or
opinions.
• Valid
– This is to see if the research that has been found is able to
answer the outcome/question that has been intended.
• Reliable
• This is research that produces accurate and true
results.

12. Harvard Referencing
Name of the film being researched;
Film:
1. Gary Ross (2012) The Hunger Games
Book:
2. Suzanne Collins (2008) The Hunger Games
Website:
3. Suzanne Collins (2008) The Hunger Games
http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/
Magazine Article:
4. Douglas Eby (2015) The Inner Writer
http://theinnerwriter.com/325/suzanne-collins-writing-
hunger-games/