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A epaeses aaniven COMPETITOR ANALYSIS: Tactic: Literature Review 4 What is it? A literature review is a comprehensive investigation ofall documents, publications, articles, and books regarding @ specific area of study. This first step in the research process can also include a client's corporate communications, as well as those of their competitors, in which case it is often referred ta as a communications audit What can it do? A literature review is an important initial step, allowing the researcher to become familiar with historical references and parallel associations, as well as Current market conditions. Literature reviews ean also clarity research problems and be influential in the development of investigation strategies during iater phases of the creative process. How is it used? Use literature reviews to save time. A comprehensive literature review will ensure that the researcher does ‘tot rédouble efforts undertaken during previous investigations of the same subject. When is it used? \Werature reviews are a formative tactics Used to orient ‘the researcher ta the current body of knowledge in that area. in client/designer relationships, a Wterature review can be undertaken to gain insight into corporate Opposite Many universities and tbraries house sneciai collections that ‘may provide valuable informatian and imagery unevatiabie anywhere else. The Cleveland Ateavory Project (CMP) at Cleveland State University 1s 800d example of such a 24 culture, competitor analysis, and market tends. Itean even influence media buying practices, Level of difficulty complexity Literature reviews are a relatively easy task compared to many of the other forms of investigation discussed in this chapter, Literature reviews require a strategy for finding and extracting reievant information, which can be aided by the help of a librarian. Librarians, whether at community or university institutions, are trained professionals who have extensive knowledge of and access to proprietary research toals, They ean help guide a search and may also assist in locating source materials. Note: Literature reviews are often undertaken ws 2 starting point for other rosoareh strategies or the Midwest, It could even be sed a a historical reference ‘Source for ofsplay typography. eolletlon, Tha-CMP epeciat fealzetion might become an valuable resource for designers troraig for a company oF civic ‘organization headquartered in Cieveland, or for those outside ‘tho region working on a project ‘about historic Amevican eties ‘harer Or Aeon Rasen manus STRATERMiouic RESEARCH + Ethnography is a research strategy, created by anthropologists, that focuses on the link between human behaviors and culture, Ethnographers strive to understand and separate the emic perspective (pronounced ee-rmk) from the etic perspective (pronqunced ef tik), Emic investigations define cultural phenomena through the perspective of the community under study. For example, to develop an emic understanding of graphic designers, one might conduct individual interviews directly with practicing design professionals. Etic investigations define cultural phenomena from the perspective of an individual who is not a participant in the community under study, So an etic view of graphic designers might be found by interviewing their clients or family members, Ethnographic researchers try to focus theif efforts on understanding the internal, or emic, perspective of the ‘community, using etic perspectives only to augment the data gathered by the emic study. 26 When choosing subjects for ethnographic study, geographic clusters, interests, ages, or a variety of other segmentation criteria can be used, Macra-ethnography studies large populations of people, whereas ro-ethnography, conversely, focuses on smaller populations. When a community has been chosen, the ethnographer-semetimes called a field worker, or fteld researcher—will conduct backgraund research and identity a specific question to be examined. Immersion in the chosen culture is sometimes necessary for the ethnographer to gain acceptance (subjects wan't act “naturally” if they are uncomfortable or anxaous about observation). The researcher may identify key “informants,” who lead them to other informants, using a snowball sampling method to conduct interviews. and Te- interviews over an extended period of time, These interviews use open-ended questions to draw more details from the subject. Rigorous documentation of interviews as well aS copious field notes are required. After researchers have developed @ theory, they may Feturn to the group to test that assumption. eft This diagram depicts the ‘umerous tacties that can be employed to coflect ethnographic research

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