A WORKED EXAMPLE OF A CRITICAL RESEARCH STUDY - FROM START TO GRADE A

25 STEPS TO SUCCESS!
1.Checked out all the topic areas. Keen to do something with children as the focus.
2.Decided on Children & the Media as my topic and Children and TV as a focus.
2.Proposed to look at educational value of children’s TV programmes.
3. Researched around my proposed focus area to make sure it was viable - I needed to make sure there was plenty of material available (don't want to make life too difficult!)
4. Wrote a list of the possible materials I could use - made sure I had a range of sources (media texts such as kids TV progs, institutional info such as viewing figures + stats, academic books, popular articles from newspapers)
5. Worked out my own action plan for the next couple of months, using the department framework as a guide. Made sure I allocated enough time for writing up my findings, learning everything in time for the exam, preparing my cover sheet and exam notes.
6. Created linked lists on my blog to all the websites I have found so far that I am planning to use.
7. Created a list of books + chapters I want to read as background and context.
8. Wrote my 1st 'research diary' post, outlining what I had done so far
9. Kicked off my research by looking at pre-school children’s programmes featured on BBC1 and ITV on one day. Analysed the content, and themes/skills learnt/taught.
10. Looked at websites for programmes analysed to research the theories and ideas behind them. Teletubbies and CITV were very good at explaining what children learn at different ages, and how the programmes cater for them.
11. Started my research record and evaluated the websites visited so far.
12. Realised that I only have info from what’s being broadcast, rather than any effect it has on the children. Put together questionnaire to find out parents’ and children’s opinions of the TV and whether they learn anything.
13. Evaluated method + results. Questionnaire is good from parents, but doesn’t work so well for children as the answers are too vague. Interview 2 children to get more specific answers. Also need to work out how to measure how much children have learned and whether they learned it from the TV or from elsewhere.
14. Looked for theorists and critics’ ideas. Found Barry Gunter book, and lots of quotes to prove a negative effect on behaviour, but positive effect on learning. This was backed up by questionnaires.
15. Found research completed at Aberystwyth University to see how widespread the ‘problem’ was. Also found statistics on internet on children’s viewing habits to show how much viewing has increased in pre-school children. OFCOM really useful here.
16. Some research from internet suggests reasons for behaviour problems. Decided to complete observation of children watching telly for myself to check if it’s true.
17. Observation fairly successful, but some limitations. Interviewed a couple of parents to discuss ideas.
18. Found a couple more news articles and chapters from books which disagree with other research, but make sense with some of the questionnaires/observations, etc.
19. Came to conclusion that Children’s TV is educational and helps teach spelling, numbers, time telling and some social skills, but too much telly leads to short attention span which is detrimental to learning effectively in other situations. Recommendation that it’s used in conjunction with other teaching methods, and that time spent watching is limited and monitored carefully. Tried to compare my points to issues with other children's media as a wider focus to make sure I was dealing with the Macro as well as the Micro aspects of the topic.
20. Checked back through my research records and prepared the draft cover sheet ready for the teacher check. Got it checked and rewrote it following feedback.
21. Prepared my 4 sides of notes, tried to use colour coding and headings as much as possible to make them easy to use when under pressure. Checked the guidance to make sure I hadn't included anything illegal. Got them teacher checked, just a few changes to make later on. Found that writing the cover sheet and the notes for the 1st time really helped with revision - I knew most of my material by now.
21. Revised everything I'd done on methods + sources, and all the pros and cons and drafted an answer to Q1. Used the essay guide to help me with this. Developed this ready to hand in for marking. Met with media teacher to go through my feedback.
22. Revised all my knowledge, analysis and outcomes and drafted an answer to Q2, again using the guide. Met with media teacher to go through my feedback.
23. Rewrote my essays taking into account the comments I got. Made sure I really thought about answering the actual exam questions this time, rather than just pouring out everything I knew.
24. Got the actual exam cover sheet from the teachers, re-did my notes and cover sheet ready for the final exam. Understood now what I really needed and how to present them! Got them signed, took a photocopy, and kept them safe.
24. Tried to learn my essays off by heart, then practiced them against the clock. Cut out some stuff as I couldn't get it all down in the time available. Broke it all down into section headings and key words to help me learn it properly.
25. Turned up to the exam on time, with my cover sheet and notes, did brilliantly and got an A! Hurray!

HOW TO GET STARTED

1.Familiarise yourself thoroughly with the unit blog, the folder, the exam and the process you are about to go through.

2.Spend some time reading and researching around the topic area you are interested in. Use the Media Library, the School Library, the Internet, and your family, friends and teachers to help inspire you.

3.Choose a topic area and a specific focus that:

• you find accessible
• you can be objective about
• has plenty of relevant material available
• is similar to/ connects with actual studies that have already been undertaken by media
  theorists
• is possible to place within a theoretical framework that you can understand
• is manageable/ practical in the time available
• is not too narrow
• is not too broad
• comes under the areas listed in the breakdown for each Topic in your folder
  provides an opportunity to learn something new/ find something out

4. After lots of brainstorming and reading, come up with no more than 3 and no less than 2 final proposals and discuss them with other students. Present them on your blog as INITIAL PROPOSALS and discuss them with other students and your Media teachers. Use the questions listed on the blog to help you prepare your initial proposals.

5. Narrow down the focus to 1 proposal, and after discussions with the teachers, develop a research strategy – this is your DETAILED PROPOSAL. Use the questions on the blog to help you. Don’t start this if you’re not sure about the focus. If you struggling to complete the questions for this, it could mean one of two things: either you need to spend more time delving into the focus area and exploring it more thoroughly OR it’s not a suitable focus area to continue with.

6. The whole point of these questions is to weed out any ‘dodgy’ research titles, to ensure you know what you are getting yourself into and that you really understand your focus area, to make sure there is a wide range of source materials available so your research is not unnecessarily limited and to ensure there are no nasty surprises a few weeks on, when its too late.

7. Get feedback at this point, adapt or start again, with the aim to achieve final teacher authorisation in order to start research.

8. At this point, prepare your personalised ACTION PLAN. Look at the framework provided, think about your own commitments and create a week by week plan accordingly.

9. Organise your blog and your hard copy folder, check all your systems are in place and working. Make sure you prepare to keep the following records:

• Secondary Sources Record - a list of all references relating to articles, books, chapters
  and extracts, web-sites read, used or visited (useful and non-useful – you’ll need a range)
• Research Methods used, with evaluation.

10. Keep these records up to date as you go along. They will form the basis of your answer to Q1 on the exam paper. It is crucial that you keep your notes, your questionnaires, findings etc carefully, and well organised on your blog and in your folder.