ABSTRACT
In the preceding chapters, we outlined the many uses of audience research, described how audience data are collected and reported, and offered a general framework for understanding audience behavior. It should be clear that many questions can be asked and answered using audience research techniques. However, as we noted in the first chapter, for many people who deal with electronic media, “audience research” means nothing more than ratings research. While that view is certainly not held by everyone in the business, it is true that no other form of audience research so dominates the industry. For this reason, we have focused on the systems for generating audience ratings. In the last two chapters we discuss some specific analytical techniques that are used with ratings data.
