COURSE:BACHELOR OF JOURNALISM

UNIT: OPINION AND COMMENTARY

LECTURER:JAVED KANA

ASSIGNMENT: EDITORIAL RESEARCH

GROUP NO:5

GROUP MEMBERS

BEBI SHEMAWIA HDC214-0195/2018

CATHERINE WAIRIMU HDC214-0218/2018

KEYA WESONGA HDC214-0223/2018

FREDRICK OUMA HDC214-0244/2018

SHEILA SEBBEDA HDC214-0252/2018

LORRAINE JEPCHUMBA HDC214-0231/2018

DAN KIPCHUMBA HDC214-0/2018

EDITORIAL RESEARCH

An editorial research are the findings of the knowledge behind an editorial published or written

on a newspaper or magazine.

Introduction

Editorial research is done by professionals who are called editorial researchers.It can be done

before an editorial is written.Before an editorial is published,an editorial research is done to

know what content is interesting to the audince and can capture their attention.Editorial

research can also be done on an already existing editorial article that is written or

published.This research aims on finding out about the audinces preferences and interest.In the

case of online journalism where social media exist there is twitter which information is posted

and people interact and react on information which can be put on trending.Editorial research is

then done to know why an information is major concern to a large number of audience.Many

editorial researches are although done on important information that affect the people or serve

their interests.

How To Conduct an editorial research and its Importance

To Conduct an editorial research, the research has to first of all decide on the aim of the

research.

He or she should make clear what they intend to achieve from the research. This may then

guide the researcher on the methods they will use in the research.

Some of the available methods includes; Interviews, Questionnaires and observation.

After conducting the research the writer should come up with a Conclusion. This will entail on

what resolutions and improvements they can make from the results gotten from the editorial

research. This is a very useful part in bringing about improvements in the Editorials.

Editorial research is very important since it, among others, helps the Writers to Shape their

content in such a way that it is made more relevant to the audience.

Editorial Research Questions.

For a successful editorial research you need to have a well outlined research project.

Editorial research questions is one of the factor that determines the success of your editorial

research. One need to form research questions for a particular editorial. The type of questions

formed determines the type of data to be collected. Therefore when forming editorial research

questions one must put into consideration all the factor involved in order to do a

comprehensive editorial research. An editorial research can be done before writing an editorial.

Before writing an editorial, research is done so that one can right a good relevant editorial

research that will attract the audience attention and keep their attention all through the

editorial. Some of the factors to be considered when forming research questions at this stage

are; the target audience, the problem/issue at hand, the message, and the news hole. Examples

of questions to form at this stage are;

1.What is the problem, issue or topic to be discussed and how relevant is the topic to be written

as an editorial?
2. Who is the target audience?

3.How well can the message be passed to the audience?

4. How much space is given for an editorial in a newspaper?

WAYS OF CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS AND QUESTIONNAIRES;

They include:

« In-person interviews

« By telephone

« Through the mail

« Over the internet

-Tips on the methods that you are going to use on your research;

1.Keep it short - it should be not more than 10-15 minutes to be completed.

2.Have no more than 5 choices for ratings.

3.Use simple wording to avoid confusion.

4.Include not more than 2 open-ended questions.

5.Use responsive design to allow completion on mobile devices.

6.If possible,offer an incentive (access to results,raffle for a gift card e.t.c)

Verification of authors and sources.

The credibility of an author is very vital in determining the quality of sources you have located

and are planning to use in your editorial research.

If you are using a book for research,check the preface/foreword/introduction and back cover of

the book. These usually provide information on the author's credentials/areas of expertise. You

can also check on One Search to find other books written by tsame author.

If your choice is an article;first determine the type of publication it appeared on, whether

newspaper or magazine. Scholarly articles are usually written by expertise who include their

credentials or afflictions and references. Check if the author has written other articles on the

same topic by searching in appropriate data base. Also search Google Scholar for the author

and article and see how often the article has been cited ( a high number of citation is an

indication of credibility)

If you choose websites; first check if their is an author listed on the site. Then check if there is

an 'about us /me' link. Check to see that the website is updated regularly and who hosts the

website( a .com, .edu, etc.)

Evaluating sources with the Big 5 Criteria.

Currency- check the publication date and determine whether it is current enough for

your topic.

Coverage (relevance)- consider whether the source is relevant to your research and

whether it covers the topic adequately.

Authority- determine the credentials of the author of the source and determine their

level of expertise and knowledge on the subject.

 Accuracy- consider whether the source presents accurate information and whether you

can verify that information.

Objectivity (purpose)- what's the author's purpose in creating the source? How does

that affect it's usefulness to your research?

We can summarize this as The CRAAP Test: Currency, Relevance,Authority,Accuracy, Purpose.

Evaluating Websites.

Currency - A useful website is updated regularly and let's visitors know when content

was last updated. Brocken links and out-of-date information is an indication that the site

is not well maintained.

Relevance - Consider whether the website is appropriate to you and your paper

audience.

Authority - Look for an 'about us'link to learn about the about the sites creator. The

more you know about the credentials and mission of a site's creator as well as their

source of information, the better idea you will have about the site's quality.

Accuracy - Check if the site presents references or links to the sources of information it

presents. Try to locate the sources and interpret the information.

Purpose - Consider the reason why the site was created. Can you detect any bias? Does

it use emotional language? Is the site trying to persuade you about something?

Importance of evaluating sources and authors.

- Helps determine the credibility of information.

- Helps rule out questionable information.

- Assist in checking for bias in your sources.

* Useful information can be found on all kinds of sites,but consider carefully whether the

source is relevant to you and your audience.

Content farms exists to host ads. Their aim is to drive traffic to their sites by posting popular

web. This,they are rarely good sources for editorial research.

AN EDITORIAL RESEARCHER

The role of an editorial researcher involves searching for factual information and updating the

entries in the data base.

Most editorial researchers specializes in an area for example; health, political, finance, law,

science. For one to be qualified to be an editorial researcher one must have some form of

qualifications and education such as English degree or technical experience in a related field.

Function of an editorial researcher.

Fact checking: Ensure that the information that is to be included in the editorial is true. There is

some form of evidences backing your authenticity.

Proofreading; Review content for technical errors such as grammatical issues, clarity, accuracy

of facts and source citation.

Designing layout: Figure out what kind of writing style is more convincing to the target

audience. For example; The youths will be more attracted if celebrities news is put on the cover

page.

As a research editor you analyse information related to a specific topics to produce reports or

indepth article to the clients or target audience.

Working with a team of editors to evaluate content for writing style and accuracy.

Reference:

www.guides.osu.edu