research methods

Quantitative data is any form of data that can measured numerically, it also comes in a form that can be easily organised into a category through a numerical method like a statistical form.

Getting quantitative data is easy i can simply make a questionnaire with (closed questions) this give the person a set of different answers and if they agree with a similar answer they put it, this is normally (Select A, B, C, or other style question). There are other forms of gathering quantitative data like how many likes does Conor Mcgregor's pictures get at a certain time or per day. Quantitative data is a necessity when a person needs for an indication of the likes and dislikes of a group which can be read from a statistical graph. An example is "how much fruit do you eat in a day?" the answer will be a number making quantitative numerical data.

• Prevents abnormal data.
• Answers can be initiated by-self.  
• statistical graphs are easy to read. 
• It is quicker than qualitative because its short answers are easier to analyse.
• Feedback comes fast although, answers do not give a detailed description.
• Can be spread through social media but this gives the risk of rushed answers.

Quantitative research when compared to qualitative data has the advantage of having a lower chance of receiving abnormal data because of the closed questions. Although by using quantitative research there is a risk of getting mistaken data from frustrated or careless people, who begin ticking random boxes to quickly finish it but this can also be prevented by giving the questionnaire to more people. This does not affect qualitative research as it is more engaging reducing this risk of mistaken data because they dont have (closed questions). This means qualitative data is more detailed compared to quantitative which is an advantage to get to learn more about the chosen criteria. This data is normally extracted through interviews for a more detailed answer which sacrifices more time to analysing data meaning fewer answers. Whereas quantitative data is easy to analyse and put in graphs making it the better method of research if needed large amounts of data in little time. Qualitative research will see different size comparisons in the amount of data as the information given is dependent of the person answering the question and how much is given. Analysing this data will be hard depending on the answer given to a question, like a situation where a person answers by one word and another answering the same question with detailed descriptions, graphs, charts, maps and diagrams... it gets complicated. Whereas quantitative data will always have the same amount of data because of (closed questions).

To be honest i like both of these methods and both could easily coincide with each other to give more solid research.

Primary research:

Here is my primary research:

http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/c8b6be020e726bd3692a76055b272b76.png

Secondary research is so simple it can be done by any group or person. The information include things like available sales figures and reviews. This research is instant making it very useful in a stretched time scale.  Although quick it is not as adventurous and genuine as primary research as well as its reliability compared to primary research as it may not be as consistent or up to date. This can lead to contingencies include bias data depending on the origin of the data or era it was developed in. This data is gathered from books, reviews and internet forums. The internet is one of the most easy and fast method of gathering data it is like a library for secondary research. it is normal to find related information on the internet through a search engine which is continuously updated. When there is a need for older historical information like Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed franchise which is centered on history but with a twist. A book is better and is easier to give reference as it will have the authors name, publisher and book number compared to the internet and giving the address to a website like Wikipedia, which is the combined information from a list of different parties, making it harder to reference which means wasting more time.

Audience research is crucial for big game developers to find or learn about a target audience to understand what they need, want or dislike and number so they can determine market value and sales to overall, make a profit and fan base, so they can start producing a sequel as soon as possible depending on the developers direction. Developers will have to find the awareness of the audience on the certain topic or particular media product like VR and what their general opinion is of that. As well as behaviours towards it. Personally i find it easy to go on forums to find out what people think, one i use is Common Sense Media as it has the reviews of people below 18 and the reviews from people above, as well as a review specifically from parents who bought a game for their child. Here is Audience research for Rainbow Six Siege from common Sense Media:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/tom-clancys-rainbow-six-siege/user-reviews/adult

Market research in comparison audience research is like secondary research as it can see a group that is of already on board with particular aim or product then simply making better or easy to use. When looking to use market research for a project it is important to look on the reviews or general view on that market to easy the path towards a product in that sector and even make predictions on the project release. Even the economic status on the target audience is an advantage if known because this will give you the audience's average spending on a video game or product also helping you budget for the project. 

Production research all about TTM a term i have come up with meaning tech, time and management this involves; looking at all the possibilities that must be recorded into consideration when producing a new video game or product. This will include grabbing the best possible and creative people for the product and keep it on track and safe a role which can be managed by a Producer. The producers and team will look to include providing content from research and material like computers, a sustainable game engine ETC; after this production will be close to begin. Next will be looking into the survival of the chosen market sector and time of making the product recommended to be quick as possible as popularity could decrease in that time, so investigating in the possible fast and easy technology available to use and create the most perfect product finished product is crucial. This will be especially useful at time of distribution of the product. So researching, planning the production is important to making a product. This will also benefit post-production like toys, trailers and fan service or fixing bugs giving it more time but this can come after the products release.

Short research definitions:

•        Qualitative data is data that is descriptive over numerical, it is used to find opinions, reasons or motivations. It helps provide hypothesis to problems.
•        Qualitative Questions are questions that require a more detailed answer to a question, for example a question such as ‘Which sweet is your favorite?’ requires not only an answer but a reason why.
•        Secondary research is finding out from the public or a general selection of people. It is mainly used by companies to find out what customers/consumers want from said company. For example if we are looking at a games company they would look at what type of game the players would rather play, whether that be MMO’s, RPG’s, adventure or action.
•        Qualitative and Quantitative market research is widely used. Qualitative market research is used on smaller groups of people (focus groups) and is used for exploratory purposes whereas quantitative market research is used to form conclusions from the persons hypothesis and aimed at a much larger group of people.
•        A real life example of market research would be looking at certain trends in the industry for example in the game industry if a certain type of game is doing very popular, you are more likely to produce that sort of game.
•        Primary research is any communication research that is performed on specific people to find out their attitudes, knowledge, interests or behaviors.
•        Before any project is finished research is provided so that the producers get a better understanding on their target audience because there would be no point providing a product on people you know nothing about.
•        A real world example of this would be a game company targeting a specific country with their game, therefore they would think about taboos in that country, for example if you portray a specific country as the villains they will likely ban it.