Unit 6: Critical Approaches to Creative Media Products: HA9 Task 1

Quantitative Research

Quantitative Research is a closed, straightforward research type which evolves around the amount of responses, numerics and statistics. It quickly 'throws' the audiences into multiple categories. It asks multiple questions including how, who, what, when, where.

Quantitative research can be done very quickly and on a mass scale.

"It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables – and generalize results from a larger sample population. Quantitative Research uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover patterns in research." http://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-qualitative-research-and-quantitative-research/

Ways of Research

There most common way to obtain quantitative data is through various surveys. They can be the questionnaires designed on online website, or printed off, pop-up questions on certain websites, etc.

Other ways involve:

Telephone interviews
Longitudinal studies
Website interceptors
Online polls
Systematic observations

http://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-qualitative-research-and-quantitative-research/

Organisations

The audiences for different media sectors are observed and measured by audience research organisations.

[click on abbreviations to open official websites]

BARB
Broadcasters' Audience Research Board

"BARB was set up in 1981 to provide the industry standard television audience measurement service for broadcasters and the advertising industry."

RAJAR
Radio Joint Audience Research Limited

"RAJAR Ltd (Radio Joint Audience Research) was set up in 1992 to align, design and operate a single audience measurement system for the UK radio industry serving both the BBC and licensed commercial stations."

ABC
Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK)

"Our Board includes representatives from advertisers, media agencies, media owners and trade bodies. They represent the differing interests of the media industry and meet regularly to agree new standards for industry data and processes and to agree the strategy for ABC as an organisation."

UKIE
UK Interactive Entertainment

"Ukie, pronounced you-key, (UK Interactive Entertainment) is the only trade body for the UK's games and wider interactive entertainment industry."

IAB
Interactive Advertising Bureau

"The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is the trade association for online and mobile advertising. It promotes growth and best practice for advertisers, agencies and media owners."

NESTA
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts

"We aim to boost innovative potential - to help individuals and organisations design and grow better ideas, which can improve the quality of many peoples’ lives."

Examples

http://pkkunit66.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/HA8%20Task%206

These two are part of my own research outcome from Unit 66 (the one about 3D modelling). The questionnaire regarded a robot sidekick which presumably would find its way in a game.

These charts show amounts of people who choose certain options, in these examples the rating of individual features of the robot sidekick and the choice whether or not they would like to own it.

MORE LINKS:
http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/quantitative/quanthme.htm
http://dissertation.laerd.com/types-of-quantitative-research-question.php
http://dissertation.laerd.com/quantitative-research-questions-what-do-I-have-to-think-about.php

Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research is an open, wide research type focused on thorough opinions of the individuals. It doesn't categorise, but it's open for odd results. The main question it asks is WHY (why do you like it, why is it interesting for you etc.).

Qualitative research takes time and it's usually achieved with very few respondents.

"It provides insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Qualitative Research is also used to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive deeper into the problem." http://www.snapsurveys.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-qualitative-research-and-quantitative-research/

Ways of Research

The most used(?) way of conducting the qualitative research is through comprehensive and thorough interviews with individuals. They can be done eye-to-eye or through phone calls, or through internet.

Other ways involve:

Group discussions
Diary and journal exercises
In-context observations

http://www.qrca.org/?page=whatisqualresearch

Organisations

There are few organisations dedicated to collecting qualitative research data.

[click on abbreviations to open official websites]

QRCA
Qualitative Research Consultants Association

"QRCA is a not-for-profit association of consultants involved in the design and implementation of qualitative research – focus groups, in-depth interviews, in-context and observational research, and more."

AQR
Association for Qualitative Research

"The Association for Qualitative Research represents and furthers the interests of the qualitative research industry in the UK and beyond."

Examples

http://pkkunit66.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/HA8%20Task%206

This picture shows the written results of one of the questions in my research outcome from Unit 66. It let people freely say their opinions and pass suggestions telling what would they like to change if anything in my robot.

MORE LINKS:
http://www.qrca.org/?page=whatisqualresearch
http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/qualitative%20methods%202/qualrshm.htm
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-qualitative-research-strategies-10244.html

Audience Profiling

Audience Profiling is a summary/result of a research. It's a gathered information regarding the consumers/audience of a certain media (or non-media) product.

"An audience profile can be particularly important to advertisers who want to display their advertisements where people likely to buy their products or services will see them. General social and economic information about the audiences of various media sources can greatly help advertisers choose the most effective placement for their advertisements." http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-audience-profile.htm

Demographics

Demographics do basic overall classifications of people living in a certain region or a country. They categorise them in a similar was as the categories shown above with an exception that demographical categories are much more broad. They include: "age, gender, ethnicity, income, occupation, geographic location and marital status."

"Demographic data will describe the characteristics of a human population. Additional demographic measures can include disabilities, mobility (travel time to work or number of vehicles in household) educational attainment, home ownership, and household composition (number of children and extended family members living within the home)." http://themarketpro.net/knowing-your-audience-demographics-psychographics

Psychographics

Psychographics are much more group-oriented, and instead of the visible and materialistic aspects they are focused on the psychology, behaviour and the personality of people.

"Psychographic measures include values, opinions, political views, lifestyles, behaviors, leisure activities, desires, entertainment preferences, cultural interests and social activities. Additional measures include behavioral variables, such as usage rate or loyalty, and firmographic variables such as industry, seniority and functional area within the work environment." http://themarketpro.net/knowing-your-audience-demographics-psychographics

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http://www.someresearch.co.uk/
http://www.newzoo.com/insights/infographic-russias-mobile-games-market-compared-to-other-major-markets/
http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2014/07/23/the-highest-revenue-generating-region-for-mobile-games-is-infographic.aspx
http://www.newzoo.com/insights/the-2015-gmgc-global-mobile-games-industry-whitebook-is-now-available/
http://www.newzoo.com/insights/newzoo-researches-1bn-southeast-asia-games-market/
http://www.futurelab.net/blog/2015/05/superdata-research-releases-global-games-market-2015-report

Unit 6: Critical Approaches to Creative Media Products

HA9 Task 1 - Glossary

Quantitative Research

Ways of Research

Organisations

Examples

Qualitative Research

Ways of Research

Organisations

Examples

Audience Profiling

Categories

Demographics

Psychographics