CMNS 230: Case study
SYLVIA ROBERTS
[email protected]
Communication librarian
Case study assignment (excerpt)
Your term paper will be a case study on a Canadian media
institution….requires you investigate the organization in some depth,
to gain an understanding of its operations and contributions to the
wider media industry within Canada…. find as much empirical data as
you can, as that will help you understand the organization and the role
it plays in the context of the Canadian cultural and media industries.
Research requirements
• Do some preliminary research first before settling on a topic to
ensure you are able to find sufficient appropriate sources.
• …minimum of five sources, with at least one of your references from
an academic source….strongly encouraged to go beyond the
minimum guidelines in the number of sources.
• Proper APA citation and referencing format should be followed.
Choose an entity from the following
• A) A regulatory / policy institution (e.g. CRTC, BC Film Commission)
• B) A media advocacy organization (e.g. OpenMedia)
• C) a media or cultural company (e.g. Force Four Entertainment,
Lionsgate, CBC, Vancity Theatre)
CRTC
CBC
TELEVISION
INDUSTRY
Friends of Canadian
Broadcasting
CityTV
Sources for in-depth investigation
• Organization as author:
• Organizational web site
e.g. CBC, CityTV, CRTC, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
• Annual reports
• Social media
• Planning documents
• Books, reports and articles about your organization by other authors
Consider the source AND the audience
• What is the purpose of a source of information?
• Who is the intended audience?
• How might these impact what or how information is presented?
SWOT analysis
• Involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project
and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable
and unfavorable to achieve that objective
• Strengths / weaknesses – internal, specific to organization
• Opportunities / threats – external, impact whole industry
• Strategy: consider factors impacting similar players in the same
industry, e.g.
Trade / industry information
• Trade or industry journals reflect news & views of industry participants (e.g.)
• This includes discussion of factors impacting the whole industry, such as
technological change, legislative changes or economic factors
• Articles and reports included in business and sector specific databases:
• Business source complete e.g.
• CBCA Complete (Canadian sources)
•
•
•
•
•
Communication and mass media complete
Music Index
International Index to the Performing Arts (theatre, dance)
MLA international bibliography (publishing)
Film and television literature index
Design and applied arts index (gaming)
Trade or Industry Associations
• Trade or industry associations formed of organizations that operate
in a specific industry
• Promote industry, do research, lobby legislators (e.g. )
• Use Associations Canada directory or Google search to find
• Web sites, social media used to communicate with membership and
others in the industry
• ANYONE BELONG TO A TRADE ASSOCIATION?
Questions?
• CMNS 230 guide
• Ask a Librarian
• Sylvia Roberts: [email protected]