Types of audience research

Why do you need to conduct research?• To identify the target audience of the media product.

• There is a need to make sure the institution showing the media product already has the right audience and will also attract the right audience.

• To ensure the audience reacts in the expected way.

Primary• This is research done by you and has not been conducted by anyone before.

• It usually has a purpose and is original and not copied.

• Examples:

• Questionnaires.

• Interviews.

• Observations.

• Possibly a relevant conference.

Secondary• This is research done by someone else and can be used alongside primary research.

• It has a purpose but is not original.

• Examples:

• Newspaper articles

• The Internet

• Office of National Statistics (ONS)

• Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB)

Quantitative • This is research that will produce unbiased results that can be measure to generalise a large population.

• Results can be shown as a set of numbers and presented in charts or graphs.

• Examples:

• Audience viewing numbers

• Age

• Percentages

Qualitative• This type of research helps to find out people’s opinion on things and why they feel that way.

• The responses are personal and therefore can’t be measured.

• Examples:

• Focus groups

• Questionnaires if they have comment boxes.