Research is something that everyone thinks they can do well...
...but don't.
The Research Investigation requires you to have research from a "...wide variety of sources..."
And yet some students don't.
The Research Investigation requires you to "...analyse and apply research in a sophisticated way..."
And yet some students don't.
The links below are here to give you the opportunity to quote from a wide variety of resources and to help you practice finding the key pieces of information for YOUR project.
First of all an introduction to an absolutely key resource: Media Magazine
Media Magazine is available in the library and through school subscription, however we have access to the digital version which allows you to not only browse through the most recent editions of the magazines as PDFs but also gives you access to special editions of the magazine as well as the magazine's extensive archives.
To access the MM website, click the link above. You should then click on the 'enter subscriber's site' button and log in using our school username and password. You have been given these log in details, but ask if you don't know them!
Here is your first task in being a successful researcher...
Note: this does not have to be the topic you will choose for your actual project - but it can be!
When you start to conduct your actual research, you should try to keep it organised. Label your research by section.
The sections are:
For more details on each of these sections, read the notes below.
Check the MS3 Blog for resources to help you, including mark schemes and all the notes you’ve been given in lessons.
Important reminder: keep a link to all your research sources. You will have to reference these in your final essay, as well as submit a bibliography. You should be aiming to use a range of sources for your research, so don’t just rely on websites. Use the Media Magazines in the library, the extensive range of reference books in the same place, and the extra features/documentaries on your chosen texts’ DVDs (if you can find them!). Ask for help if you’re not sure how to widen your range of sources sufficiently.
*************
Research categories: label the titles of your blog posts with the appropriate category as listed below.
SECTION A: BRIEF
Your brief should include the following information:
This should include:
Provide information you have gathered about the genre of text you’re researching – what is its history or background? What are the significant moments or texts associated with it? What issues and debates have been associated with it, and what institutional factors are relevant?
Not all of this research needs to be directly used in your final essay, but you do need to show awareness of the ‘bigger picture’ of your topic, and not just a narrow focus on the texts you’ve chosen as case studies. I expect this section of your portfolio to be the largest.
SECTION D: AUDIENCE
Identify the audience for your genre, texts and/or issues: who do you need to be speaking to? Include research into demographics where appropriate.
What questions do you need to ask? Include evidence of any questionnaires or audience feedback re: your chosen topic. If you haven’t done this yet, include a plan of what you might ask. This needs to be based on your broader research and your analysis of your chosen texts.
What to Research
You need to:
Post them on your research blog like a bibliography. Explain briefly what the site is useful for and find the author of the article or website.
Photocopy any chapters from books.
Don't forget to use the Media Magazine website - this is a vital resource and I expect to see at least one article from it quoted in your final essay! It is time consuming trawling through it all but then so is the whole of the internet! At least with Media Magazine you know that it is all full of relevant trustworthy media theory.
Now for the time consuming bit...
This will definitely take a long time but is key to the success of this essay - you must show me and the examiner that you understand the academic texts that you have researched.
Next...
These will be what you use to do your primary research - by the end of this project you will be an expert on these texts. I expect you to own or have access to a copy of each text you want to use. It's no good using an episode of EastEnders that aired two months ago!
Links
Here are some links to get you started!
How to research
MS3 Blog - check this regularly!
Mirror MS3 Blog on Wordpress
How to set up and use your own blog
Our blogs: 2013-14
Previous blogs (external link)
Writing the research investigation
Mark Schemes
...but don't.
The Research Investigation requires you to have research from a "...wide variety of sources..."
And yet some students don't.
The Research Investigation requires you to "...analyse and apply research in a sophisticated way..."
And yet some students don't.
The links below are here to give you the opportunity to quote from a wide variety of resources and to help you practice finding the key pieces of information for YOUR project.
First of all an introduction to an absolutely key resource: Media Magazine
Media Magazine is available in the library and through school subscription, however we have access to the digital version which allows you to not only browse through the most recent editions of the magazines as PDFs but also gives you access to special editions of the magazine as well as the magazine's extensive archives.
To access the MM website, click the link above. You should then click on the 'enter subscriber's site' button and log in using our school username and password. You have been given these log in details, but ask if you don't know them!
Here is your first task in being a successful researcher...
- Find an article in the Media Magazine archives which interests you
- Write down who the article is by and when it was written
- Write down the key points from the essay - the key points that are being made - exactly as they are written in the magazine
- Find a video clip or an image that illustrates the points that are being made
then
- Why you chose the article
- Who the article was written by and an overview of what it is about
- The main points of the article - including some quotations
- Whether or not you agree with the quotations - and why.
- Videos and/or images of texts that relate to the ideas expressed in the article with some analysis
- An overall opinion of the article
Note: this does not have to be the topic you will choose for your actual project - but it can be!
When you start to conduct your actual research, you should try to keep it organised. Label your research by section.
The sections are:
- Section A: Brief
- Section B: Texts and Analysis
- Section C: Genre and Context
- Section D: Audience
For more details on each of these sections, read the notes below.
Check the MS3 Blog for resources to help you, including mark schemes and all the notes you’ve been given in lessons.
Important reminder: keep a link to all your research sources. You will have to reference these in your final essay, as well as submit a bibliography. You should be aiming to use a range of sources for your research, so don’t just rely on websites. Use the Media Magazines in the library, the extensive range of reference books in the same place, and the extra features/documentaries on your chosen texts’ DVDs (if you can find them!). Ask for help if you’re not sure how to widen your range of sources sufficiently.
*************
Research categories: label the titles of your blog posts with the appropriate category as listed below.
SECTION A: BRIEF
Your brief should include the following information:
- Are you focusing on genre, narrative or representation?
- What is the provisional title of your investigation?
- What production piece might this lead to?
This should include:
- A list of texts you have selected for study
- A list of scenes or sections of these texts you will focus on (include timings where possible)
- Notes you have made when analysing sections or whole texts (you mustshow that you have started to analyse your chosen texts using theory to identify issues/debates relevant to your study). You should have notes on representation, narrative and audience.
Provide information you have gathered about the genre of text you’re researching – what is its history or background? What are the significant moments or texts associated with it? What issues and debates have been associated with it, and what institutional factors are relevant?
Not all of this research needs to be directly used in your final essay, but you do need to show awareness of the ‘bigger picture’ of your topic, and not just a narrow focus on the texts you’ve chosen as case studies. I expect this section of your portfolio to be the largest.
SECTION D: AUDIENCE
Identify the audience for your genre, texts and/or issues: who do you need to be speaking to? Include research into demographics where appropriate.
What questions do you need to ask? Include evidence of any questionnaires or audience feedback re: your chosen topic. If you haven’t done this yet, include a plan of what you might ask. This needs to be based on your broader research and your analysis of your chosen texts.
What to Research
You need to:
- Find academic texts
- Find articles
- Find relevant video clips
- Find books
Post them on your research blog like a bibliography. Explain briefly what the site is useful for and find the author of the article or website.
Photocopy any chapters from books.
Don't forget to use the Media Magazine website - this is a vital resource and I expect to see at least one article from it quoted in your final essay! It is time consuming trawling through it all but then so is the whole of the internet! At least with Media Magazine you know that it is all full of relevant trustworthy media theory.
Now for the time consuming bit...
- Read the chapters, articles, journals etc
- Highlight/Annotate/Make notes
- Post research logs of the quotations you have found with page numbers and explanations as to why you think the quote might be useful
This will definitely take a long time but is key to the success of this essay - you must show me and the examiner that you understand the academic texts that you have researched.
Next...
- Choose the text or texts you are going to use as case studies for your essay.
These will be what you use to do your primary research - by the end of this project you will be an expert on these texts. I expect you to own or have access to a copy of each text you want to use. It's no good using an episode of EastEnders that aired two months ago!
Links
Here are some links to get you started!
- WJEC
- Guardian Media
- Media Know All
- The Media Blog
- Media Magazine
- David Gauntlett's site
- Aberystwyth University's media site
- MediaKnowAll
- Google Books
- Nick Lacey's site
- Wikipedia - with a warning - this is good only as a starting point!
How to research
MS3 Blog - check this regularly!
Mirror MS3 Blog on Wordpress
How to set up and use your own blog
Our blogs: 2013-14
Previous blogs (external link)
Writing the research investigation
Mark Schemes