Resource evaluation - general research

 https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critics/chris-stuckmann/movies

What I learned: I found a critic's review on Insurgent, proving that the vast majority of top critics did not deem it worthy of the young adult dystopian genre. 

How reliable is it?: Chris Stuckmann is a verified movie critic for Rotten Tomatoes who has rated hundreds of films and given his professional and personal opinion to either recommend or discourage people from watching certain things. The general message of his review is reliable as it many other reviews were similar and conveyed the same meaning. 

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critics/source/2790

What I learned: I found a top critical review on Allegiant, which represented the same general views of other top critics. It proved that the books was of a higher standard than what was portrayed in the film. 

How reliable is it?: Roxana Hadidi is a verified top critic on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that she has a reliable, professional opinion. Looking at other reviews proved that her view of the film was reliable and shared by most. 

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/22/the-mortal-instruments-city-of-bones-review

What I learned: I learned that people's expectation of the films were not met and the qualities that made for an excellent read did not transfer well to the screen. 

How reliable is it?: The Guardian is a well respected newspaper which produces articles on entertainment frequently. It is often trusted by the public to provide reliable information, and using my own comparisons, the review given is replicated in different words by other top critics. 

https://www.ool.co.uk/blog/29th-january-1813-publication-pride-prejudice/

What I learned: Pride and Prejudice continues to sell around 110,000 copies a year. This proves that interest has been retained through the years through remakes of tv and film adaptations. 

How reliable is it?: It was written by Kath Bates who is a graduate of archeology and history. Although she is not specialised in English, her ability to gain a degree suggests that she can gather valid information, and share it through her platform. She is also a best selling novelist, proving that she is knowledgeable in the field of literature. 

What I want to find out next: I want to find out what makes Pride and Prejudice in particular so successful compared to other of Austen's books and novels from her time. 

https://news.virginia.edu/content/its-good-time-binge-pride-and-prejudice-adaptations

What I learned: I got an opinion from a member of the University of Virginia English department on why certain film adaptations are so successful. The example she used was Pride and Prejudice, and it is so adaptable because of its universal themes and lack of specific time period or locations. 

How reliable is it?: It was an article posted on the University of Virginia website, so as an academic institution, they should be a reliable and valid source who offer correct information and education based opinions.  I have seen other articles highlighting that a key to movie success is universal themes, suggesting that this is a reliable source. 

What I want to find out next: I want to find out whether film companies specifically look for universal themes that will relate to audiences when deciding whether to make a book adaptation. 

https://stephenfollows.com/hollywood-movies-make-a-profit/

What I learned?: I learned that 49% of 279 Hollywood movies that were studied made a loss when they were released. 

How reliable is it?: The researcher used an Insider data set which gave him all the financial information about 279 Hollywood films. This is an accurate set of values and described as real world reliable data. 

http://melvinburgess.net/books/billy-elliot/

What I learned: I learned why and how the film of Billy Elliot was turned into a novel. I learned what things a novel can give to a reader that a movie cannot, and why it may be important for literature to remain in a physical form. 

How reliable is it: It is reliable because it is an article from Melvin Burgess himself who wrote the novel. He was able to explain his learning process of why it was important that the novelisation of Billy Elliot took place. It was a reliable first hand account from someone who was experiencing the transition from screen play to novel. 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20160124-are-paper-books-really-disappearing

What I learned: Whilst e-books do constitute around 20% of the global book market, the sales of e-books have plateaued after a huge growth between 2007-2013. This generates the belief that books will not become obsolete because people continue to use them frequently, either for information, entertainment or the aesthetic. 

How reliable is it?: It is reliable because it is a BBC website which is nationally trusted for information. The studies were done by Pew Research Centre who have access to a wide range of data which they categorise and analyse. 

The Media Students Book 3rd Edition by Gill Branston and Roy Stafford

What I learned: I learned about the six major film companies and how they select which ideas they want to turn into films. I found out about how a deal is negotiated and what sources are used. 

How reliable is it?: It is reliable as it is an educational book put together by people in that field. The content has been revised and checked to ensure it is factual.