Research Methods

There are four different types of research methods:

• Primary - research carried out personally
• Secondary - research found from other people or sources
• Qualitative - more to do with smaller numbers of people, this helps to gain a perspective of the persons opinions
• Quantitative - this finds any patterns or trends, it involves asking large numbers of people. generally in a questionnaire

Primary Research Methods include:

• questionnaire
• interview
• textual analysis
• survey
• online poll
• focus groups
• email
• text
• letter

Secondary Research Methods include:

• internet (industry websites and individual websites)
• books (mainly for media theory)
• newspapers and newspapers archives

Advantages of Primary Research

• can find reliable information
• guaranteed to find the responses you require

Disadvantages of Primary Research

• may not get enough responses

Advantages of a Questionnaire

• quick responses
• easy to compete
• direct answers
• easily distributed

Disadvantages of a Questionnaire

• people can lie
• sometimes difficult to get people to complete

Advantages of Email

• free
• simple to use
• fairly informal is okay

Disadvantages of Email

• junk mail
• misinterpretation of questions
• need the internet