Multimedia Communication and it's influence on you and your family

Ever wonder about the effect all the advertisements, promotions and special offers that we are bombarded with daily, influences us? Do you believe the messages you see? Does the media influence your concept of what it means to be a man or woman?

Have a class discussion regarding what you think images from the media define masculinity or feminity?
Are they positive or negative messages?
Do commercial companies exploit these images to sell their product or service?

Here are a few videos that may give you food for thought.They are American but since American media has such a profound effect on the films we watch, music we listen to or clothes many of us wear today in Ireland I thought they would be relevant.

Mass Media Influence On Females

Body image is an important topic for teenagers and young adults.Many want to fit in, yet there is criticism of the media regarding it's portrayal about what is acceptable in society.In numerous women's beauty magazines, there is overwhelming pressure on young women to slim down to weights which are often considered to have health risks.
Is it the magazine's fault for the negative interpretation or the consumer of the magazines?
Should magazines be more responsible for the positive image of women that they promote?
Do you think those magazines would be rewarded through sales?
A magazine company is in the business of selling magazines?
Would this help or hinder their sales?Would you buy the magazine?

This video was made by the Dove Self-esteem fund and has an interesting viewpoint on the beauty industry.
Youtube video
Beauty Pressure

Uploaded by tpiper on 2 Oct 2007

http://twitter.com/#%21/tim_piper_
DSEF ad directed by Tim Piper www.pirovision.com
 
Here is a video entitled Killing Us Softly 4 Advertisings image of women by Jean Kilbourne, where it gives a snapshot regarding how advertising is influencing statistics of violence in the USA.Many of the adverts shown we have already been exposed to in Ireland with our ability to access more globalised content through our TV subscription packages and access to the internet.
Youtube Video 
Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising's Image of Women (Trailer)

Uploaded by ChallengingMedia on 12 Mar 2010

Available on DVD - April 2010
http://www.mediaed.org/

Do you think adverts sell more than a product?
Do you see any adverts with negative effects for influencing children?
What responsibility should the beauty product company have?What responsibility should the parent have?
Are the media providing unhealthy, unrealistic expectations in terms of gender stereotypes?

Mass Media Influence On Males

The issue of masculinity in the media is not discussed as openly yet.Portrayals of what it means to be a man and more worryingly what it means not to be a man are discussed with frankness in this videoclip entitled Tough Guise:Media, Violence and the Crisis in Masculinity made by

www.mediaed.org Jackson Katz argues that widespread violence in American society, including the tragic school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, Jonesboro, Arkansas, and elsewhere, needs to be understood as part of an ongoing crisis in masculinity.
Is there anything in the video you agree or disagree with?
What do you think about the topic raised in this video?
Is media violence linked to crime?
What did you think about the statistics provided?
Do you think these trends would be similar in Ireland or not?

You Tube Video
Tough Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity

Uploaded by ChallengingMedia on 4 Oct 2006

http://www.mediaed.org/
Children and Mass Media

Can you protect your children from the effects of mass communication?Here is a clip from a documentary entitled Consuming Kids:The Commercialization of Childhood (Trailer)

Are we training our children to be better consumers?
What are the positive and negative implications of this?
Are we making it easier to be brainwashed by media?
Do you think companies are providing cars/holidays targeting children?
Do you think marketing products to children happens often in todays world?
Is there anything parents can do to protect their children?

Youtube Video
 Consuming Kids:The Commercialization of Childhood (Trailer)

Uploaded by ChallengingMedia on 14 Mar 2008

The News You Watch and Mass Media

The type of news we watch is often dependant on the information we want to find out about. For an extreme example, a militant racist may access news information which corresponds with their viewpoint. Or someone who is primarily interested in showbiz events may bot be as clued into current events. The same can be said if we are searching for unbiased news. You probably have heard of the concept of "spin", a way of twisting a story to match an existing viewpoint. As a result of the internet and satellite TV, we are no longer constrained by Irish news media to get our information. When you choose the news channel for your information ask yourself, is the story being slanted a certain way or is it unbiased?

Here is a clip from the first part of Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11 movie. The first 7 or 8 mins deal with how the American news media handled the controversial George W, Bush v Al Gore presidential debate


So if you are curious about how the news works here is an example of how the news industry works in the US.
Youtube Video
How the fake news works

Uploaded by UpdocFilms on 18 Apr 2008
It is hard to prove bias in the news but some of the following hints may be helpful. When viewing a news story ask yourself:

1-Do the reporters cover the best points of both sides of the issue?
2-Are there facts omitted to preserve a certain viewpoint?
3-Are the studies being reported on coming from just one side?
4-Where is the news story placed in terms of other news story placements? (eg should the coverage of The Queen at a royal engagement be placed before coverage of a natural disaster?And does this relegate the impact of the natural disaster as it is on afterwards?)
5-Are there facts placed with a story to taint a guest?
6-Are the sources selected to cover the story biased?
7-Are certain aspects of Government policy given preference over other aspects of the same policy?
8-Are certain groups of people labelled or nicknamed? How does that influence your perception of who is being talked about?
9-Are reporters giving theor own policy reccommendations to Government?
10- Are minority groups being heard regarding a particularly relevant news report?

Can Bias Be Positive?
For example, an editorial or opinion poll can have a certain slant as it is openly acknowledging a certain viewpoint over another one.
Stories or statements which makes one side of a debate look bad if the information is accurate
Non Governmental policy stories which do not necessarily have to be balanced

Here Jon Stewart, is a guest on the show Crossfire and highlights the importance for news readers to spin stories in particular ways to suit their agenda. What do you think about this clip?

Youtube Video
Jon Stewart on Crossfire

Uploaded by atvartist on 16 Jan 2006


Are there examples in Irish news where coverage of a particular story was biased in your opinion?



Pleasse take the time to leave some feedback in the comments section

What was difficult in this task?

What did you learn?

Is there anything else that could have been included in the topic to make it easier for you to understand?

Was the topic explained well or not?

Are there any video links from Youtube that may also be useful?
(if so please copy and paste the link in the comments section with a sentence explaining what it is)

How to film an interview

Here is some useful advice and tips to make your video stand out when interviewing people.


how to film an interview

ingrid Araya

Single Person ENG Interview Tutorial 

montgomerycollege


Here is an example of a video which uses good editing and 1 on 1 interviews. Remember you have a 3 minute video to complete for your project.


FIFTY PEOPLE ONE QUESTION - GALWAY, IRELAND 2011 by Kamil Krolak

KamilFilms

Media Studies Transition Year Types of Advertisements

Advertisements appear in different forms as they try to convince us to purchase their product, service or message. Types of advertising include: billboards, flyers, magazine and newspaper ads, TV and radio ads, cinema ads, online advertising such as web banners, the opening section of internet streaming audio and video (eg Youtube), pop-ups, email spam, blogs, advergames, ads on mobile phones, bus and airplane ads, in-flight ads (eg gift trolleys), train stations, public bathrooms,  supermarket receipts, sales promotions and even human billboards. 

1-Billboards

Billboards are large advertisements, often posters, sometimes digital, which display advertisements in public places to passers by. They are often located at the side of motorways. They are also placed in shopping centres, sports stadiums and popular public places. Some billboards rotate so they are showing a couple of different advertisements every few seconds. The development of mobile billboards where for example a company is hired to park or drive down a specific route advertising a product on its trailer is also becoming more popular. An exciting example of a mobile billboards is an airplane towing an advertisement above a sports game.

A human billboard is where someone wears or holds an advertisement. Some individuals have even been known to be paid to advertise a company tattoo on their body! Human billboards are often around where there is heavy motor traffic. They have been used to advertise houses for sale, pizza and fast food outlets as well as numerous other types of products, services or messages.

Exercise 1 Class Discussion: Am I a human billboard?

Have you worn a t-shirt with a bands name or company logo?

Is there a company logo on your jeans or footwear? Your bag etc

Does this make you a human billboard?

What are you getting out of this?

What is the company getting out of this?

2-Flyers

Flyers are usually a single sheet document used for commercially advertising a product, service or message. They are often found in newsagents, hotels, restaurants, libraries, doctor’s offices and hairdressers. Their target audience is the casual passer by.

3-Magazine and Newspaper Ads

Magazine advertisements target a very specific group of people. The advertiser knows from the type of magazine who precisely will read their advert.Magazines often use celebrity endorsements to sell their product. Some magazines also feature sponsored articles with specific adverts linked to the story. Classified advertising also allows private individuals or businesses to promote a product, service or message for a reasonably low fee. They are usually placed in the back of newspapers and magazines as well as free local newspapers.

4-TV Commercials

Guinness Surfer Ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9znA_dwjHw

Guinness Dominos Ad
Guinness Dominos ad

The majority of TV ads are usually 30 seconds long and use music or a jingle to help the audience associate a mood or feeling with the product. Companies who wish to advertise on television pay high prices at times during peak programs. It is still seen as one of the most popular ways to advertise to a mass audience. Recent developments such as sponsorship of popular TV programs are becoming more commonplace eg Coronation Street being sponsored by Cadburys or Game Of Thrones being sponsored by Blackberry on Sky Atlantic. Also digitally inserted ads are becoming more commonplace in sports programs. Due to the hundreds of channels available today, it is harder for advertisers to reach a mass audience. Some advertisements have the budget of a film. Here is one of the most expensive adverts ever made.

Exercise 2 Pair discussion: Who sponsors what?

Name your favorite soap or sports programme and the advertisements which surround it?

Identify the target audience

Report what each other have said

5-Infomercials

Infomercials are a longer TV ad, usually 5 minutes or longer. An infomercial is the combination of the words information and commercial. A telephone hotline or company web address is usually displayed throughout the infomercial. The goal is to give enough information about the product so that the viewer will make an impulse purchase, often with their credit card.

Television Audience Measurement Ireland (TAM) reveals that Irish adult TV viewers are spending almost three and a half hours watching television everyday.

6-Radio Advertising

The advertising through radio is restricted to sound through air waves from a transmitting device (eg radio station) through an antennae to a receiving device (eg car radio). Radio is often used by internet users while using the internet online or by people travelling to and from work. Companies who wish to advertise on radio stations have to purchase “air-time” to play their commercials. Specific actors with distinctive voices are used for radio ads.

7-In-store Advertising

In-store advertising is advertising placed within a shopping centre or convenience store.Products are deliberately placed in areas of the store to attract the attention of a potential buyer. In-store advertising can include carefully arranged displays, posters or promotions or samples. Sweets used to be placed at check out areas in order for children to “pester” their parents into buying the item for them. Due to a parental backlash, stores had to remove sweets from this area. Breads and baked products are mostly placed at the entrance of the store. Their aroma, which promotes a feelgood factor in the customer, has been proven to encourage customers to spend more. Products that are heavily promoted are usually at eye level or at the end of shopping aisles. Cheaper products are often found at foot level. Manufacturers often have to pay stores for premier product placement.

8-Online Advertising

Online ads are delivered by an ad server through the internet to attract customers. There are a variety of types of online advertisements.

1. Sponsored Search Engine Results: 

Adverts can come up in sponsored search results, where companies have paid the search engine to display their product or service when a user types in a particular search.

 b. Web banner ad: 

Where an advert is embedded in a webpage.The advert is often a click through where the viewer is taken to the company website for more information. The original webpage’s reason to allow the advertisement is to direct more traffic to the website.

c.Social Network Advertising and Blogs

Social network advertising and blogs are a form of advertising which takes place on social networking sites. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, MySpace, LinkedIn and Yelp and blogs such as Blogspot and Wordpress and numerous others have a lot of benefits to advertisers. The everyday user of a social network profile is actively putting up online content about their likes, hobbies and interests. Advertisers can target their ads more preciselu to those who could be interested in their products. They can collect information about the type of users who like their product or service. Certain social network sites can influence others to purchase similar products. Word of mouth is seen as a more reliable review of a product than a traditional advertisement. For example if Lady Gaga or Stephen Fry were to endorse a certain product on their Twitter accounts they may influence a variety of ans of theirs to make similar purchases.

d. Streaming online audio or video ads

On websites such as Youtube in order to view certain videos viewers are forced to sit through an advert before viewing their intended video. Often viewers have the option to skip the advert after a few seconds.

e. Email Spam/Junk Mail

Where the user of an email account receives emails from businesses or individuals they didn’t request advertising a specific product or service. Often identical messages are sent to numerous people by email. Networks of virus infected computers are used to send most spam. Perhaps spam has been sent by your computer without you even knowing it! E-mail addresses are collected over chatrooms, websites, customer lists of companies and social networking sites. Clicking on links sent by spam can increase the risks of viruses on your computer.

f.Email Marketing

Email marketing differs from spam in the sense that the information may have been requested by the user. Email marketing is used to build loyalty with existing or potential customers, often sending out special deals to customers who have already purchased products with them. They often send out information relating to their product or industry so that they will be seen as the leading expert of information relating to this sector.

g.Advergames

Advergames is the mixture of the words advertising and games.There are various types of advergames. Some companies integrate their products or services into the game or encourage the user to play the game to avail of a special deal (eg Vodafone’s Cherry Points game). EA Games often use advertisements in their sports games. Product placements are also becoming increasingly popular and profitable in online roleplaying videogames such as World of Warcraft where virtual items are worth real money. Free trials of games can also be downloaded to encourage and to advertise the purchase of a full version of a game. Free games such as America’s Army have been used as an army recruitment tool in the USA.

9-Cinema Advertising

Apart from advertising trailers for the latest new releases and advertisements for products and services before the movie, during the film there may be varying elements of product placement, particuarly in big blockbuster films. Films such as James Bond’s “Skyfall”, “The Matrix”, “Waynes World” and numerous other titles have certain products strategically placed within the film. The advertising isn’t obvious. However, unconsciously the viewer will associate the product with the feelgood factor of the film.

Wayne's World Product Placement (1992) HD

Wayne World Product Placement

10-Street Advertising

Outdoor advertising on footpaths and street furniture. Street ads are an extension of billboard advertisements as they are seen outdoors in public places.

11-Celebrity Endorsements

Advertisements harness the popularity of celebrities to sell products. When a celebrity is showcased wearing a particular brand of watch, jewellery or clothes this enhances the allure of the product. Particular celebrities such as David Beckham, George Clooney, Nicole Kidman are highly sought after and command large fees. Recent Olympic star’s such as Victoria Pendleton have been used to endorse shampoo. However, if a celebrity misbehaves or becomes less popular, they lose their sponsorship.  They may have been paid to endorse this product though. Product’s capitalise on a popular celebrity being part of their advertising campaign. The risk to the company is if the celebrity has engaged in bad behaviour or has become less popular.

12-Corporate Mascots are characters, often cartoons associated with a product. Examples are Tony The Tiger with Frosties, Ronald McDonald with McDonalds, Energizer Bunny with Duracell batteries. Mascots are often associated with computer products, for example the red fox from Mozilla Firefox or Clippy from Microsoft Word. Sports teams also utilise mascots to publicise their brand and encourage merchandise shopping. The advantage a mascot has over a celebrity endorsement is that they never age, change or misbehave.

13-Sales Promotions

Sales promotions use product giveaways to advertise. Examples would be buy one get one free, coupons, loyalty cards, contests or games. These promotions increase customer interest in a product and they also encourage loyalty.

The 6 Steps a Consumer Makes Before Purchasing

1. Awareness  The consumer needs to know the product exists.
2. Knowledge The consumer becomes more educated about the product.
3. Liking The consumer is enticed by the promises and hopes the product offers.
4. Preference The consumer chooses this product over similar competitors because of the value this product offers.
5. Conviction The consumer believes and trusts in the product.
6. Purchase The consumer decides to part with money for the product

Write out twice the 6 steps a consumer makes before purchasing.

Write down the 13 types of advertisements in your own words with examples where possible.

Media Studies Transition year Celebrity endorsements and Exercises

Exercise 5

Look at the following adverts below and write about one of them under the following headings: setting, props, people, faces, lifestyle, values, colours used, the logo and the copy

Lynx “Unleash The Chaos” advertisement (2012)

TNT “We know drama” advertisement (2012)

Exercise 6 My Presentation

Choose an advert you like, show it to the class and make a 2 minute presentation under the following headings:

scenes, props, people, faces, lifestyle, values, colours used, the logo and the copy

Celebrity Endorsements

Class Discussion: Pepsi

Pepsi are reknowned for their use of celebrity endorsements with their product. 

Why do you think they do this? How are they trying to persuade the consumer to purchase?

Pepsi Advertisement “We Will Rock You”

Pepsi “Football Warriors”

Homework

Create a poster for the benefits of using the iPad in school. Use Pages.

You may wish to download an app from the app store to help you do this

You will make a presentation on Wednesday discussing props, people, lifestyle, faces, values, colors used and discuss the copy.

Molly O'Reilly Easter Rising Stories

Directed and edited by Marcus Howard, independent film maker. Constance and Clare Cowley recount the story of their relative Molly O'Reilly, who hoisted the flag at Liberty Hall before the 1916 Easter Rising at the request of James Connolly. Molly was also involved in spying for Michael Collins after 1916 as well as being one of the first female hunger strikers in 1923. Constance and Clare also give their thoughts on how 2016, the 100th anniversary of the Rising, should be commemorated. At the Easter 2015 celebrations, Constance Cowley was present at the hoisting of the flag outside Liberty Hall organised by the Dublin North Inner City Folklore Project. The event was filmed by her daughter Clare and Marcus.

Easter Rising Stories is a series of films by independent film maker Marcus Howard. The videos are not for profit but for educational purposes. The aim of the series is to capture the recollections of relatives of the Easter Rising of 1916 as well as to document events and stories relating to the Easter Rising. If you are interested in getting in touch please contact:
easterrisingstories@gmail.com

The Elizabeth O'Farrell Story

Directed by Marcus Howard. The remarkable story of Elizabeth O'Farrell is recounted by her great grand-niece Donna Cooney. This video tells of her journey to Moore Street, the surrender with Pearse and delivering the surrender to de Valera at Boland's Mill. Elizabeth O'Farrell was an Irish nurse and member of Cumann na mBan. Filmed and edited by Marcus Howard and Jean O'Donnell.

Easter Rising Stories is a series of films by independent film maker Marcus Howard. The videos are not for profit but for educational purposes. The aim of the series is to capture the recollections of relatives of the Easter Rising of 1916 as well as to document events and stories relating to the Easter Rising. If you are interested in getting in touch please contact:
easterrisingstories@gmail.com

Personal and Professional Development: Researching Colleges and Courses

1-Research a college course

2-Research facilities in the college

3-Find out what subjects and qualifications are needed

4-Find out date of application

5-Research similar courses in Ireland/Malaysia

What skills do you need for your chosen course?

Level 5 Report Writing

Level 5  Report Writing 

It may be based on any topic for example, based on the learner’s vocational area, or research done for another module. Use Primary (eg questionnaires, interviews) and Secondary research (referencing, bibliography) methods to obtain information for the report.

• It must include information gathered from a variety of sources.
• It should be well structured, detailed, balanced, use impersonal language
• Reference should be made to Health & Safety legislation
• It must contain relevant visual supports, i.e., drawings, charts, photographs etc.
• All resources must be acknowledged through references and bibliography
• It must be word processed, approximately 1000 words
• Do not use personal language (eg No “I think…”)

Follow the formal structure of a report for example:

• Title

• Terms of Reference

• Methodology

• Findings

• Conclusions

• Recommendations

Assessment Criteria

o report well structured, detailed, balanced, uses impersonal language, good

interpretation of terms of reference                                                                                                                  3

o research is comprehensive, relevant, variety of sources acknowledged and

critiqued through references and bibliography                                                                                          3

o key issues discussed and explained with clarity, objectivity, evidence of

original thinking and supported with visual aids                                                                                       3

o findings presented clearly and in own words, recommendations/

conclusions show evidence of critical thinking and in depth analysis ·                                         3

o fluent writing, well expressed, extensive vocabulary,

freedom from minor errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation                                                  3

This assignment has the most weighting at 15%. The practical use of this crucial communications skill involves your next career step. In college or at work, employers and interviewers need to assess that you can write and create a piece of objective research. Adopting the correct methods of report writing is crucial to achieving higher grades in assignments  or business projects. A lot of the skills you learn about report writing are the tools you will also use if you decide to write a thesis.

One of the main areas an employer or interviewer wishes to see is can you back up your argument regarding the findings of your report with factual evidence. Why? Business decisions cost money to implement and arguments like “I think”, “I know” or “it’s obvious” do not carry as much weight as something like: “the research figures of 50 applicants between the ages of 18-25 shows that....which corresponds (or is at odds )with our secondary research. This leads us to the conclusion that.....”

This Assignment  involves the following:

Guidelines:

1.      This assignment will test the candidate’s information

 gathering and report writing skills

2.      It may be based on any topic using information

 gathered from a variety of sources and should 

demonstrate at least one practical use of social media to 

be documented in the report.

3.      Report could be based on research done for another

 module (eg work experience)

4.      Report may be handwritten or word processed

Assessment Criteria

·         Report should be well structured, detailed and balanced (3)

·         Uses impersonal language (3)

·         Good interpretation of terms of reference (3)

·         Research is extensive, relevant and sources acknowledged through references, bibliography and acknowledgements (3)

·         Discusses and explains key issues with clarity, objectivity and evidence of original thinking (3)

·         Findings presented clearly, recommendations/conclusions show evidence of critical thinking and analysis (3)

·         Fluent writing, freedom from minor errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation (3)

·         Report submitted on time (4)

Practical Use Of Social Media

90 percent of consumers trust peer recommendations while 14 percent trust advertisements. If you want to be heard, you have to have something to say. Social media is free to set up and in an  increasingly demanding jobs market, it is important to arm yourself with every tool you can to get your voice heard.

 Watch the following few videos and have a discussion in class about the advantages and disadvantages regarding social media.

Here is a clip below about how social media is being integrated in Ireland in 2011

Youtube Video:Social Media in Ireland

Uploaded by edelmanireland on 16 Mar 2011

 “Social Media Stats in Ireland June 2011” gives the most recent statistics on how social media is booming in Ireland. Yet they have also stated that there is still a shortage of students applying for jobs in the I.T. sectors.
Youtube Video: Social Media Stats Ireland - June 2011

Uploaded by socialtalent on 30 May 2011

Here a clip about Ireland's facts and figures from 2008 going into 2009. It is important to show you why you need to get the most out of your work experience and your report.

Youtube Video Ireland's Economic Meltdown

Uploaded by dueyfinster on 14 Jan 2009

Here are some 2011 facts about social media worldwide

Youtube Video Social Media Revolution Socialnomics 2011 

Uploaded by fastaccesswebsites on 2 Sep 2010

Youtube Video: What is LinkedIn?

Uploaded by LinkedIn on 5 Apr 2010

Discuss in class:

The advantages and disadvantages of using various types of social media (Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Youtube)

Discuss how each type of social media could help your job hunt as well as your work experience.

How to write a report focusing on your work experience

Step 1 What do you know about the industry you would like to work in?
Step 2 What you would like to know (where are the gaps in your knowledge?)

Step 3 What have you learned when you have bridged those gaps through your research

Break up the report into manageable parts. You must decide on your research methods:

Research Methods

1 Primary Research-Information which you gather 1^st hand eg surveys, questionnaires, interviews, experiments (tarilor your questions to your desired industry)

2 Secondary Research-Helps you measure and predict through material which has already been produced by someone else:  eg books, websites, magazines, newspapers

Here is a clip explaining the difference between primary and secondary research

Youtube Video: Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Uploaded by TheHartnessLibrary on 2 Aug 2010

 Here's a video about how to  create a survey in Microsoft Word

Youtube Video:Creating a Questionnaire in Word

Uploaded by bartonpoulson on 8 Oct 2009

Here is a video about how to set up the Word 2007 function References and citations

Youtube Video Word 2007-References and Citations

Uploaded by CaTsTrainers on 1 Apr 2009

Youtube Video: How to Use The Reference Function in Word 2010 

 Uploaded by innovativeteach on 21 Apr 2011

How To Write a Good Report

1-Be Objective: Avoid using  words like “I”.  Instead use something like “research taken from...” or “statistics by X have shown...”

2-Research thoroughly: Use primary and secondary research to compare or contradict your point. This can lead to a more informed decision about the quality of the research provided

3-Structure the Report appropriately: Reports often follow a standard layout. An example of the structure of a report is included below. Headings should be arranged clearly and logically to make it easier to read and comprehend

4-Write Clearly, concisely and informatively

Have a look at Angus Morrison’s PDF document “A (Short) Report on Report Writing” from the Murdoch University for ideas regarding the layout of a report. Click the linkhttp://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~angusms/Teaching/reportwriting.pdf

Report Layout

The layout of any report is distinctive and is a valued 

document if implemented effectively. They can vary in 

length, content and style. A standard report will have the 

following:

Title:

Terms of reference: 

Methods:

Findings:

Conclusion:

Recommendation:

Bibliography 

Appendices

Title:

Terms of reference: 

this alludes to the purpose, subject and limits of the

 report. 
Also for whom the report has been written i.e. 

commissioned by will also be mentioned in this section.

Methods:

This is where you list your types of investigation methods. You do not talk about the findings in this section. N.B you should list your research methods in the correct order they appear in your report.

Eg the type of research you carried out regarding secondary research (books,websites, practical social media involvement, magazines, newspapers, libraries, etc) 

Pick one of the following social media options to include in your methods and outline why you have chosen it to help your jobsearch
-Outline how a blog with Blogger or WordPress will help your job search and future work experience 
-Outline how you will use LinkedIn to network and increase your chances of getting a good job 
-How can Facebook be used for your jobsearch or for the benefit of the industry you wish to work for
-How can you use Twitter to let people know about you or can you use it to communicate updates about your desired industry

Findings:

The results of your investigation must be in the same

 order as your described methods, i.e. chronological

 order. For example if the first thing you did was a survey 

then you must discuss the results of the survey first in

 the findings section.

Use headings and subheadings. Make sure the writing is

 impersonal eg “research states that...” as opposed to “I 

think...”

Regarding the social media option you have picked

 demonstrate in your findings: 

What new learning has occurred for you using social 

media?

What challenges did you encounter? 

If you have chosen a blog, document in your report findings how this was used to benefit your job search and work experience). Can you demonstrate the communication skills you have learned on your blog to help sell yourself?
If you have chosen to use LinkedIn to network for your job search, document how you did this?

If your option is Facebook or Twitter, outline the advantages and disadvantages you found from using this type of social media

Conclusion:

Usually just 2 or 3 paragraphs where you give a big

 picture of what the data is showing, and what should be 

done. You can communicate your thoughts and original 

ideas, but also compare and contrast it with your research..


What positive aspects did you experience?

What would you do differently in any future work experience?

Outline your future plans as a result of your workplace

 experience

Recommendation:

·   Practical suggestions about your thoughts on the business you worked for, based upon the findings from

 your research and conclusion. Display using bullet points.


eg eg How does the business use social media?


I    Is there any way the business you did your work

 experience for could utilise social media better?

eg

Bibliography

Authors name (Year) Title of website, Complete website

 addresses (copy and paste) website addresses 

Appendices

Include all your questionnaires