1. Primary Research
What is it, why is it Important and how can it be done?
Unit 2, Lesson 4

2. What is Primary Research?
How does Primary differ from Secondary Research?
Discuss what circumstances might you want or need to do Primary Research in Media Production Contexts?

3. How to Gather PRIMary Research?
Discuss ‘how many different ways are there to gather primary research information?’
Face to face interviews (recorded on paper, audio or video)
Telephone interviews (recorded on paper or audio)
Online interviews via video or text (Skype, Messenger, WhatsApp etc.)
Posted paper surveys/questionnaires
ed surveys/questionaires
Online surveys/questionaires (SurveyMonkey, SmartSurvey, Google Forms, Facebook Survey etc.)

4. The importance of asking the right questions
What kind of questions should you ask?
Closed – may be answered with yes, no or single words
Open – designed so that they can’t be answered with one word, they require descriptions and explanations from the interviewee

5. When to ask closed Questions AND Why?
Discuss when you may need to ask closed questions in a survey, what kind and why?

6. When to ask closed Questions AND Why?
1. To establish demographics of interviewee, such as:
Name
Age
Gender
Sexuality
Nationality
Address/region they live in
Level of Education achieved
Job/Employment status
Income (individual or family)
Political views/affiliations
Religious views/affiliations

7. When to ask closed Questions AND Why?
2. To gain confirmation of an interviewees fact or opinions if these are not clear in their answer, for example:
Have you actually seen the film, or just read a review?
So are you saying you did on enjoy the film?

8. How do you create Open Ended Questions?
What particular words do open questions typically contain?
What
Why
Where
Who
How
Typically these words may be used in questions to draw out fuller answers about what a person, thinks, feels, knows and can explain.

9. TASk in class
Conduct a survey within the class on what they know of the codes and conventions of Film Noir, Period Drama and the Western.
Split into two groups –
Both groups devise a range of 10 questions, to include 3 closed questions to identify the demographics of interviewee, and 7 open questions
Group one carries out face to face interviews, recording all answers in writing (uploading these and your analysis of responses afterwards to your Weebly page)
Group two creates a survey monkey questionnaire, mails out links (upload the answers and your analysis of responses afterwards to your Weebly page)
Discuss which method gained better information and why?

10. Some Online Survey Resources

11. Homework
Write up evaluation on which method is better, face to face or questionnaires? Discuss in what ways, and why, one method of primary research may be better than another in different circumstances.