Research Evaluation

In this unit, I’ve conducted a lot of research. I researched existing examples of sports
magazines. This was useful because it gave me an understanding of all the different sports
magazines out there and what content each of them offer, something which will help me
decide what content I could offer in my magazine. I also researched what makes up a
magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread. This was useful because it
gave me an understanding of all the different terminology for everything that’s included in
each one, it also helped me when I came to do my analysis as I was able to say what each
thing was, was there for and connoted. I also did analysis on 3 different sports magazine
front covers, contents pages and double page spreads. This was useful because it helped
me establish a list of codes and conventions that I needed to follow for each one and helped
me understand what effect I need each one to have on the audience. I also compiled a list of
codes and conventions from what I found out about each component in my analysis. This
was useful because it will give me something to refer back to when I make my magazine of
things that each one needs to have. I also researched what makes a good magazine front
cover, contents page and article. This was useful because I will be able to incorporate some
of my findings here into my own production work. I also sent out a questionnaire on what
people expected from a sports magazine. This was useful because it gives me a gauge of
what people want and expect from a sports magazine, stuff I can consider having and doing
to my own magazine. I also conducted a focus group, asking the group to give their thoughts
on a front cover, contents page and double page spread from a very famous sports
magazine. This was useful because I will be able to incorporate some of the things the group
liked about each one in my own one and make sure I don’t incorporate the things the group
didn’t like about each one. I also did some experimentation by doing a mock magazine front
cover, contents page and double page spread and got some feedback on it. This was useful
as not only have I gotten used to using Quark and have refamiliarised myself with using
Photoshop but I will be able to use the feedback I got as pointers when doing my actual
magazine for what to do and what not to do.

Some of the research did go well. The “Existing examples of sports magazines” research
went well as I was able to find tons of examples of different sports magazines as well as find
out what type of contents they offer. The “What makes up a magazine front cover, contents
page and double page spread” research went well as I was able to find out all the
terminology of everything on each one and what the purpose of all of it was. The analysis
went well as I was able to compile a good, decently big list of codes and conventions for
each component based off of the analysis I did. In turn, this meant creating the codes and
conventions went well as I was able create lists of enough conventions for all 3 that I can
refer back to when making my actual magazine. The research from the questionnaire went
well as I was able to get a decent amount of people to answer it and some good responses
which I can use when planning on what to include in my magazine. The secondary research
of “What makes a good magazine front cover and article” went well because I was able to
find some good articles with some good tips that I will be able to incorporate into my own
front cover and article. The experimentation went well as I was able to get used to using
Quark and play around with the layout. Furthermore, I got good feedback that I will be able
to use as pointers when doing my final magazine for what to include and what not to include.
However, some parts of my research didn’t go too well. My secondary research on “What
makes a good magazine contents page” didn’t go too well as I struggled to find 3 good
sources, and even when I did find the information inside them wasn’t that detailed. My focus
group also didn’t go too well as some people in the group only gave one word answers for
questions they were required to expand on, so I couldn’t really do much with them in terms
of evaluating them and using them to know what I should include and what I shouldn’t
include in my final magazine. If I was to do my research again, I’d definitely do some
contextual research on magazines and/or sports magazines to understand their purpose,
history, appeal and accessibility more. I’d also do my focus group again to get some more
detailed responses on the questions where they weren’t detailed enough so I can evaluate
them and use them as notes when doing my final magazine as to what I should and
shouldn’t include.

I developed many different skills over the course of my research. I developed my analytical
skills through analysing contents pages and double page spreads for the first time, and
through analysing front covers more in depth than I did in unit 4 by mentioning the
terminology of everything on there and saying what each part is there for and why. I
developed my attention to detail by doing an in depth analysis of everything that was on
each front cover, contents page and double page spread that I analysed. I developed my
Quark skills through using Quark for the first time in my experimentation to play with the
layout of the contents page and double page spread and see if I could lay them out the way I
wanted to. I re-developed my Photoshop skills through refamiliarising myself with how the
software works and what each control does in my experimentation. I developed my
evaluation skills through evaluating every last comment in my experimentation feedback and
everything that I picked out in each of the sources I used for my secondary research as
thoroughly as I have done throughout all of my units. I developed my leadership skills
through leading a focus group for the first time and asking the group a multitude of questions
about the front cover, contents page and double page spread of the magazine. I developed
my creative skills through creatively thinking of different ways that I could layout my
magazine front cover, contents page and double page spread in my experimentation. I
developed my confidence through using Photoshop in my experimentation, as I don't like
using Photoshop and am not very confident when using it. However, there are some skills I
still need to develop. I still need to develop my time management skills as there were times
where I spent too long to complete some of the tasks, mainly the analysis, which has caused
me to fall behind on the rest of the project. Despite already developing them, I still need to
develop my Quark and Photoshop skills if I want to make my magazine look as professional
as possible. I will do this by continuing to use both softwares when doing my magazine
rough design and final amendments. I still need to develop my organisational skills as I
wasn't able to keep up very well with what research I still had to do, which has led to me
falling behind schedule.

I've learnt quite a bit about the research processes in this unit. I've learnt how much doing
analysis impacts what your codes and conventions are, as everything I wrote in each list of
codes and conventions were based off of what I put in each analysis. I've learnt that doing a
focus group gives you a first-hand look into what people expect from your chosen product.
I've learnt that doing experimentation before working on your final product can massively
help you get used to the softwares and impact the decisions you'll make when making your
final product by testing out how to do things in different ways. There are a couple of things,
however, that I still need to learn about research processes. I still need to learn how to ask
more open questions in focus groups to get the most out of the group's responses,as when I
 did my focus group I couldn't utilise a few of my responses due to them being one word
answers when I needed them to be longer. I also still need to learn how important it is to do
contextual research, as doing this would have given me more knowledge on the history and
purpose of magazines - which would've come in handy for when I do my final magazine.

I've learnt quite a bit about magazines in this research process. I've learnt how to analyse
contents pages and double page spreads, both of which I had never done before. I've learnt
all of the different terminology for everything on magazine front covers, contents pages and
double page spreads. I've learnt how to correctly layout magazine front covers, contents
pages and double page spreads through doing my experimentation. I've learnt about
different existing sports magazines, from what content they offer to how frequently they're
published, through doing my existing sports magazines research. I've learnt about what
makes a good magazine front cover, contents page and article, which I can apply when
doing my final magazine, through doing my secondary research.