Your Research Investigation

The focus of your research Investigation should be one of the following:
Genre, Representation or Narrative.
It is an academic, research based study which will allow you to explore an area of the media of your choice in some detail.
Your research should be taken from a range of primary and secondary resources. 
It must be properly referenced.

Choose an area to research that you are interested in and want to find out more about.

This investigation must inform your production piece.

Primary sources: These are the specific media texts that you choose to analyse, for example two horror films or two music videos.

Secondary sources: These are the academic texts that support your investigation. They must be from a range of different formats; books, articles and websites.

Task 1: 
Write down a list of three areas that you might be interested in Investigating.

Task 2: 
Source a variety of secondary sources that are related to the area of study. Write a brief description of why this might be useful.

Some examples of Research Investigation titles:

• An analysis of the representation of women in horror films with specific reference to a series of posters for Jennifer's Body.
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• An exploration of how youth is represented in British cinema with specific reference to extracts from Eden Lake and Billy Elliot.
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• Are women represented in a sexualised way in music videos? With reference to Snoop Dogg Sexual Seduction, Rhianna Unberella and Beyonce If I were a boy.

You will look at research and planning techniques and how to link your Research Investigation to your production.

• Key Words: Structure

This writing plan is just a SUGGESTION. Please feel free to stucture your essay as you see fit, but try to include each of the points listed below.

1. Introduction that states EXACTLY what it is that you are investigating
2. Start with your first key text. Use textual evidence to support a point of view that relates to your area of investigation.
3. Bring in secondary research that supports and/or challenges your findings. Try to use evidence from differences sources/points of view to develop an argument. Does this text challenge or reinforce arguments made around your first text?
4. Use your second key text. Repeat sections 2 and 3. Again, the emphasis is on argument and debate through effective sources.
5. At this stage, consider if you have included any relevant theory (genre, narrative or representation). you can find some theory on this blog (click on the links on the right). this should be a starting point though. Try and find your own!
6. Bring in your third and final key text. Repeat sections 2 and 3.Does this text challenge or reinforce arguments made around your first and second texts? Apply relevant theory to this text.
7. Use any additional primary sources. These may be focus groups, interviews or anything else that you have conducted for this research.
8. Draw conclusions. These should be in relation to secondary research and primary research (including application theory). You should also take into account your findings from other primary sources.

Task 3:

Create a spider diagram that outlines areas for investigation.

Consider including:

Main text at the centre of your diagram.

Two points of view about that text with regards to the concept you have chosen to focus on.

A supporting text or two, perhaps they challenge the conventions.

Consider what the typical conventions for the genre are and use examples.

Primary sources

Secondary sources

What conclusions will you reach as a result of your investigation?

Examples of research investigations (MS3) are available on the student shared drive:

Media/Year 13 A2/A2_Exam_prep/A2 Exemplar

Task 4. 

Read through the submissions MS3 Candidate 7.pdf, MS3 Candidate 8.pdf, MS3 Candidate 9.pdf.

Make comments on the structure of one of the essays in your orange books

Consider:

Introduction

Main arguments

Conclusions

Primary and secondary sources

Looking at the bibliography.