Because of the nature of the medium discussed and the technologies used, most of the research involved in completing this paper will be sourced from the Internet. This will allow my research to be as current as possible, avoiding the delay incurred between the development of a new product and the release of books on the subject.
Due to the relatively inexpensive (compared to other media) nature of the Internet, many companies choose to provide detailed technical information regarding their products, mostly in the form of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) which are intended to convince prospective buyers of their product's quality, but act as an excellent resource for the researcher. Most companies also supply a detailed corporate background and list of partners, which provide valuable links to other companies for the benefit of research.
The print medium has recently moved into the Internet market, and online journals, trade papers and technology magazines can not only offer answers to questions, but also provide market research reports, statistics, conference papers and links to companies and websites that are on the cutting edge of technology and which may be overlooked by a researcher. The Internet can therefore be a vastly superior research tool, with search engines allowing often complex keyword searches facilitating the search for relevant documents.
The report will reflect the global nature of the Internet, with statistics, technologies and companies selected from around the world, eg American-based encoding technology (Liquid Audio, Real Networks, etc.), European-based music-on-demand projects (Cerberus in Britain, Europe's MODE project), American-based retailers (CD Now, Music Boulevard etc.), American and Australian-based Internet radio, and much more. Similarly, the research and sources used are global, and will refer to music industries in a global context rather than in one territory.