Qualitative research produces data about opinions, views and preferences. This type of research is used to find out what individual people and groups think and feel about a certain media product. To collect the data needed, individual interviews and focus groups are set up to collect opinions, views and preferences.
This type of research is very important within the media industry. Focus groups and interviews are a type of primary research, collecting data you need directly from individuals. For example if you was to collect primary research for film reviews you could stand outside the cinema and ask people to fill out questionnaires. This would give you the data you need but short answers and people might not take it seriously. The best type of primary research would be a focus groups, because you get longer to speak to the individuals and get longer / in depth answers.
Although primary research is a great way of collecting data, secondary research is another technique of collecting data, using someones research they have designed for other people to use as secondary research. For example, instead of standing outside a cinema with questionnaires you could go onto a film review website and collect your data from there. Although this was of research isn't very reliable because anybody could easily make a fake profile, or the film producers could pay the site to add more positive comments, the media can be easily manipulated.
This is an example secondary research, individuals opinions / views of a film.
