Market Research into Children's Media Lives.

Descriptions

The overall requirement is to design and deliver a Children's Media Lives research project which would follow the same children and young people aged between 8 and 17– and potentially also their parents — over time.The objectives of this project are to provide:— Detailed information on what children are thinking and doing with respect to digital media;— A dynamic view of how digital media usage evolves over time as children develop and in response to external changes (e.g. new school, different friendships etc.);— A rich video source for Ofcom to provide context alongside larger quantitative research and within presentations, both internally and externally;— The ability to explore and unpick different factors that influence children's attitudes and behaviour (e.g. life-stage, family circumstances, peer group, wider society etc.);— A comparison of what children report and what their parents say about their habits and mediation (if the option also including parents in the sample is adopted).The required approach for this project is for a longitudinal and ethnographic-style qualitative project. The design of this project will involve:— Constructing a sample which includes a range of variables (e.g. different locations across the UK; different demographic attributes including potentially vulnerable groups; and different characteristics of internet usage etc.);— Considering and responding to a number of specific design considerations (e.g. ensuring the design is fit for purpose, appropriate and ethical with respect to research with children; setting up effective participant and knowledge management over time; and providing high quality and flexible and reporting outputs and video footage etc.).The minimum outputs required after each fieldwork period will include a face-to-face debrief at Ofcom's offices in London; a written report and high quality video clip montage. There will also be a requirement to set up a searchable video archive.The contract duration is three years with two options for Ofcom to extend by further periods of 12 months each, to a maximum contract period of five years. Service delivery is expected to commence in June 2014 when Ofcom shall start using the contract to call-off services as they are required.