Mac201 assessment 2 guidance

Assessment 2MAC 201 Media Studies

Media audiences• This unit begins by examining early work on media

consumption within ‘mainstream’ mass communication research, before going on to explore issues raised by more recent work in the cultural studies tradition.

• A range of academic and industry perspectives on media consumption is considered, and you are invited to reflect on appropriate theory and method in audience research.

• You are also introduced to debates about specific cultural audiences for contemporary media output.

Learning outcomes• Knowledge• Knowledge and detailed understanding of key theories and

debates relating to audience consumption practices

Learning outcomes• Knowledge• Knowledge and detailed understanding of key theories and

debates relating to audience consumption practices• Knowledge of your chosen subject• Knowledge of the historical and contemporary debates

informing your chosen subject• Knowledge of how your chosen subject fits within a broad

tradition of conducting effective audience research

Learning outcomes• Skills• The ability to evaluate and apply appropriate theoretical

perspectives and research methods in analysing specific areas of media output and consumption

• The ability to communicate information, arguments and analysis cogently and fluently

Learning outcomes• Skills• The ability to evaluate and apply appropriate theoretical

perspectives and research methods in analysing specific areas of media output and consumption

• The ability to communicate information, arguments and analysis cogently and fluently• Skills in analysis of data and interpretation• Skills in research• Skills in planning projects• Skills in persuasive writing

Due date: 8th Jan 2014• One written assignment• 2000-2500 words (no more, no less)• Think of this more as a report than an essay

Generic assessment• Students should be able to pick an area that matches their

own interest or their specific programme

Assignment 2• This assignment requires students to design a small-scale

research project seeking to investigate a form of media/cultural consumption of the student’s choosing, whilst being sensitive to the appropriateness of the research.

The assignment should include suitable space dedicated to a consideration of the following (from the module guide):

• An appropriate area of media consumption and a rationale for investigation

• The development of a key research question• A critical reflection upon and an engagement with relevant

literature regarding the study of audience consumption practices • An appropriate methodology to investigate the form of

consumption/engagement• A consideration of the limitations of the study (eg what will be

considered? What will be ignored? How justifiable is this?)• A consideration of indicative areas that might be difficult to engage

with and the measures required to address these concerns (eg how might you gather data regarding consumption of internet pornography given that respondents might be difficult to obtain?).

The assignment should include suitable space dedicated to a consideration of the following (from the module guide):

• An appropriate area of media consumption and a rationale for investigation

• The development of a key research question• A critical reflection upon and an engagement with relevant

literature regarding the study of audience consumption practices • An appropriate methodology to investigate the form of

consumption/engagement• A consideration of the limitations of the study (eg what will be

considered? What will be ignored? How justifiable is this?)• A consideration of indicative areas that might be difficult to

engage with and the measures required to address these concerns (eg how might you gather data regarding consumption of internet pornography given that respondents might be difficult to obtain?).

Structure?

1. A key research question2. Relevant literature3. Methodology 4. Limitations of the study 5. Expectations (hypothesis)

• Students should be mindful of the different methods that can be employed to undertake research – eg qualitative research, quantitative research, participant observation, self-selection, etc – background reading is essential

• Audience research can be time and labour intensive – you will need to provide a feasible time-frame for the data gathering, processing and summary of findings.

• You are encouraged to reflect upon the type of questions you build into the project:• Are surveys/focus groups/lab tests appropriate?• Are ‘open’ or ‘closed’ questions appropriate?• Are multiple choice questions appropriate?• Do the questions presume a specific behaviour rather than seek to identify

that behaviour?• Are the questions consistent in delivery?• Are the questions likely to cause offence?• How will the project be targeted?• Will the project involve a mixture of involve focus groups, online surveys,

questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, etc?

• Students should be mindful of the different methods that can be employed to undertake research – eg qualitative research, quantitative research, participant observation, self-selection, etc – background reading is essential

• Audience research can be time and labour intensive – you will need to provide a feasible time-frame for the data gathering, processing and summary of findings.

• You are encouraged to reflect upon the type of questions you build into the project:• Are surveys/focus groups/lab tests appropriate?• Are ‘open’ or ‘closed’ questions appropriate?• Are multiple choice questions appropriate?• Do the questions presume a specific behaviour rather than seek to identify

that behaviour?• Are the questions consistent in delivery?• Are the questions likely to cause offence?• How will the project be targeted?• Will the project involve a mixture of focus groups, online surveys,

questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, etc?

• Pick an area of interest

• Here’s an example…

Celebrity culture?

• The “extortion of celebrity across contemporary culture” (Johansson, 2006: 344)

• How pervasive is it? What forms does it take? How is celebrity performance managed?

• What kind of methods or approaches would enable us to discuss the impact of celebrity culture?

• How could you conduct audience research into this area?

Further Reading• Analysis of fans and celebrities on

social networks

• Research methodology is worth looking at

• Offers a systematic way of exploring the ways in which celebrities and fans interact

• Celebrity image management

What you will need to know…

1. Demonstrate an awareness of different audience research methods.

2. Be aware of the positives/negatives associated with various methodologies

3. Be able to identify an area worth investigating and plan how best to carry out the investigation Chapter 4 & 5 of this

book will help!Ebook available from library

What you could do…• If you are thinking about your final year major project, you

might want to use this module assessment as a test-bed for the research into that work:• Journalism students may want to look at reader comments in

relationship to target markets (ie readership ‘stickiness’, loyalty, trust, etc)

• Production students may want to explore niche audience tastes to support their pitches (ie pitching zombie film/documentary)

• PR students may want to gauge audience perception of key events in order to strategically plan (ie campaigns around brand/issue awareness)

Suggested Plan• 3 part structure:

1. identifying the subject• Identify a behaviour or practice of interest• Provide a rationale for looking at this

2. establishing a hypothesis• Consider the literature in this area• Formulate a set of key concerns• Develop theoretically informed questions that can be tested empirically

3. developing a methodology• Identify the most appropriate methodological tools• Demonstrate an awareness of methodological concerns• Identify the limits of the projects

The next few slides will feature new examples

Example 1 – ‘RIP trolling’• Much has been made recently in the press about the role of

internet ‘trolling’ 1. An interesting research project might want to consider this

phenomena. The essay might start with examples of high profile examples drawn from the news (eg the rationale), as well as an explanation as to what the behaviour entails

2. Having summarised the practice above, it might be worth attempting to narrow down your focus to quite specific incidents or key concerns (eg you can’t research the entire internet in 2500 words, so you might focus on ‘RIP trolling’ or YouTube abuse, etc). You could draw on academic work in the area of cyberbullying or bullying more generally to establish some key questions worth investigating

3. Finally, you need to sketch out how you would attempt to gather your data, picking approaches that help get reliable responses (ie your methodology), within self-imposed limits

Example 2 – rebooted TV drama• There seems to be a vogue to reinvent old TV franchises,

giving them a fresh creative spin.1. A project might want to consider this phenomena (eg to support a

‘pitch’). The essay might start with high profile examples drawn from the last decade of TV (eg the rationale), as well as an explanation as to what consumer reaction (eg behaviour) has been.

2. Following that, it might be worth attempting to narrow down your focus to quite specific genres or key concerns (eg you can’t cover every rebooted series ever). You could draw on industry figures or academic work in the area of reboots or genre cycles to establish some key questions worth investigating

3. Finally, you need to sketch out how you would attempt to gather your audience data, picking approaches that help get reliable responses (ie your methodology), within self-imposed limits

Example 3 – Journalistic trust• Many reports have indicated that the public has lost faith in

journalists to report the ‘truth’1. A project in this area might want to consider the spate of industry

and academic reports that have suggested that journalists are the least trustworthy professionals. It might start with an investigation into those claims (eg the rationale) by looking at notable behavior (decline in print sales?)

2. It may be worth contextualising this decline in trust against an increase in public cynicism of several professions, increased (media) literacy, and historical trends in order to identify what trust means in this context. You could draw on high profile examples to illustrate those key concerns


Example 4 – product rebrand• Frequently, when a company or a product receives negative

media attention it may be beneficial to strategically rebrand1. A project might want to consider effectiveness of high profile

rebranding. The essay might start with case studies of high profile examples of good and bad rebranding projects (eg the rationale), as well as an explanation as to what consumer/market reaction (eg behaviour) has been.

2. Following that, it might be worth attempting to narrow down your focus to a specific product/brand/incident outlining the key concerns (eg, what risks are involved?). You could draw on industry/academic research in the area of rebranding or corporate communication to establish some key questions


Example 5 – 2-screen viewing• Recent ‘hype’ exists about the role played by 2-screen viewing of TV

content, often taking place on tablets and smartphones1. A project might want to consider this claims made about this

phenomena. It might start with high profile examples drawn from tablet manufacturer claims (eg the rationale) about changing consumer habits. (eg behaviour)

2. Subsequently, it may be worth attempting to narrow down your focus to quite specific platforms in order to assess the key concerns (eg are viewers more distracted or engaged?). You could draw on industry figures/academic work in the area of media/technology consumption to establish some key questions for the future of content creation (eg is less time spent looking at the screen, and if so, does content need to be less complex?)


Remember!• You don’t have to do the actual research• You just have to plan for it• This is a small-scale project so be sure to limit the scope of the

project to something feasible (carried out by 1 person)• Don’t be afraid to include an appendix if appropriate

• What you are NOT doing is measuring ‘effects’ (see forthcoming week’s lectures)

To consider• The better assignments will demonstrate an engagement with

critical reading in the area of audience research.• Several examples of research on SunSpace• See also:

• Keywords:• quantitative; qualitative; ethnography; methodology; sampling;

To consider• There are several sample essays in SunSpace to consider

Extensions• AQH-F6-13• Regulations Governing Extension

of Assessment Deadlines and Consideration of Extenuating Circumstances

Extensions• AQH-F6-13• 1.1 All assignments have hand in

dates set in advance and published in the module guide. It is a student's responsibility to meet these deadlines. If the assignment is not submitted on time the work will be failed.

Extensions• AQH-F6-13• 1.2 In all cases it is the student's

responsibility to present to the University supporting evidence to justify their claim.

Extensions• AQH-F6-13• Maximum extension period = 72

hours

• Inclusive of weekends and bank holidays

• NB: subject to module leader approval

Plan of action (sem 2)• Approx. 10-16 hours needed• Approx. 60 hours of independent research undertaken

39

STARTESSAY(Wk10)

SUBMISSION8th Jan

Week 11 end

Week 12 end

Sketch out essay plan:~ 500 words~ 1 hour

Identify and gather resources:~ reading 3 hours~ notes 2 hours

Rough draft #1:~ writing 2 hours~ redraft 1 hour

Rough draft #2:~ writing 2 hours~ redraft 1 hour

Rough draft #3:~ writing 2 hours~ editing 1 hour

Proof-reading:~ 1 hour

Cut-off point for advice from staff

Mac201 assessment 2 guidance

Education

Transcript of Mac201 assessment 2 guidance