Introduction:

With the first moving image project drawing closer I am now going to outline the various tips for effective research.  As I have already covered, research is extremely important when approaching a project especially which methods of research you use. As well as this, you need to know what you are looking for otherwise you will find yourself loosely relating your research to something you remembered and collecting information regarding a totally different aspect of your subject.

Voxpops:

With Voxpops there are many tips that are worth following, such as:

  • Always make sure you are friendly and approachable as this can have a great impact on the overall quantity of people that you interview.
  • Give people the chance to answer questions rather than rushing them and not showing any genuine interest in what they are telling you. (Remember, the answers are for you not just the camera)
  • Be sure to avoid noise pollution; try to interview in quieter areas as this may affect the audio.
  • Make sure your main focus is on the people you are interviewing. (You do not have to appear in the video as you are the voice of the Voxpop)
  • Manage your time well; if a person is spending too much time answering the question(s) try to politely draw them to a close as it is important you circulate and collect as many different views as possible.
  • Make sure that all individuals featured in the Voxpop have given you permission to use their interview as some will feel uncomfortable with where it could end up.

Questionnaires:

With questionnaires most tips involve a lot of what you will already have taken on board, however it does help to be reassured of what these tips are:

  • Avoid being patronising; ask all questions on a friendly and perhaps informal level.
  • Number your questions; you do not want to lose the interest of your audience so make sure there are fewer questions.
  • Be detailed but straight to the point; if you are to produce fewer questions you have to make sure the ones you do ask promise effective and helpful answers.
  • Do not confuse your audience; avoid using slang or jargon as this will only complicate and delay the feedback process.
  • Stick to your main subject; do not allow your questions to take off in a different direction. Always ensure you relate each question either back to the previous question or to the central subject matter.

Secondary Research:

Secondary Research has to be the main form of research which would require tips, for example:

  • Make sure you know that the sources of information you are using are reliable. Do not dedicate your research to sites which are purely used for expressing opinions over a subject; with research you need to learn more about the subject rather than what others think of it. This is edging away from qualitative research as we are looking to find factual information. (Research on official websites; in that case you know that all the information you are collecting is correct and is not, at all, outdated)
  • Avoid asking friends and family as information may have changed over time. (If they visited a place within the previous two years things may have changed therefore the facts that they know of may be inaccurate as of recent changes)
  • Make sure you always reference where you found the information; if your work is being marked the person doing so needs to be reassured that there is no plagiarism involved and that all external information in your work has been referenced and is noticed as a quote of sorts.
  • Stick to researching what you know you should be researching. Do not try and guess what it is you have to be researching.
  • Manage your time well; spending too much time researching will not produce a substantial amount of work. Make sure you know how long you will dedicate your time to collecting information and how much time you will dedicate to actually producing work based on what you have found.

Conclusion:

As a whole, you have to keep research as one of your essential tools in the art of planning and preparation. However, at times, secondary research can disadvantage you and so you have to look out for the best ways to collect information. In doing so you have to rule out which sources are most likely to provide inaccurate information and begin to look for official websites and verified social network pages. This allows you to to receive updates on events and offerings that you might not find anywhere else online. This is a great advantage when advertising a product. That is just one of the many reasons for why ruling out the worst possible sources of information can better your chances of receiving accurate and reliable information.

When using primary research and the two methods I intend to undertake, it is best to outline the worst case scenario the second time around and focus, mainly, on the positives of using these methods. It is helpful to gain trust in the person you are interviewing as this allows them to open up more about the current subject. With the questionnaire it is best to reel in your questions so that you are not rewriting questions you have already asked and you can spend more time receiving clear, accurate and reliable answers.

There are more benefits with the methods of research I have chosen however it does help to rule out all possible unhelpful and unreliable sources of information beforehand. Then on, it is made easier to collect the information you need.