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Best Practices in Public Relations Research Don W. Stacks, Ph.D. School of Communication University of Miami Coral Gables, FL 33145 What is Research? • Controlled, objective, and systematic gathering of data • Strives to describe, understand, predict, and control social and business phenomena • Seeks to answer questions • Reliable and valid way to access data • Systematic collection and interpretation of data Theory vs. Applied Research • Theory Abstract, conceptual Builds a “body of knowledge” for PR Academic or Basic Research Serves as a framework for understanding and predicting why people act the way they do. • Applied Research Concrete, practical Strategic Research develops programs, messages, and benchmarks Evaluation Research determines whether communication campaigns works Main Uses of Public Relations Research • • • • • • • Monitoring developments and trends Examining public relations position Assessing messages and campaigns Measuring communication effectiveness Tracking studies Gap studies Evaluation research General Research Assumptions • Decision-making process is uniformly the same in all companies and organizations • All communication research should: Set objectives Determine strategy to establish objectives Implement tactics which bring strategies to life Assumptions (Cont’d.) • Research can be divided into three general phases: – Program or campaign development – Program refinement – Program evaluation • Communication research is behavior-driven and knowledge-based Public Relations Research Assumptions • Research must be behavior-driven and yield data that help design campaigns that lead to desired behavior • PR campaign research must parallel decisions communication pros make; otherwise, they are not knowledge-driven or information based • Effective research is integral to campaign creation, implementation, and evaluation Best Practice Public Relations Research Programs… 1. Conduct background/secondary research to establish benchmarks 2. Establish achievable goals 3. Ask appropriate research questions 4. State measurable objectives 5. Employ the appropriate methodologies 6. Understand the need for programmatic research 7. Have the budgets/resources necessary 1. Does Homework: Secondary Research/Benchmarking • Establishes both an understanding of what has been done and how it was done Adds to an understanding of theory Provides a window into past practice Not a new concept; espoused by John Hill in the 50s • Reduces the costs associated with needless replication • Provides possible benchmarks against which to gauge progress 2. Establishes Achievable Goals • Goal: General outcome expected by campaign end • Objective: Very specific projected output • Outputs: individual communication elements Impact of specific tactics Written, visual, verbal 3. Asks The Appropriate Research Question(s) • All research addresses four research questions Questions of Definition Questions of Fact Questions of Value Questions of Policy • Best practice research asks and answers them in order: definition, fact, value, policy Questions Cont’d. • Definition What is it? How do I operationalize it? • Fact Does it exist? In what quantity? Do groups differ or did change occur over time? • Value How good or bad is it? How well was it done? Addresses aesthetics • Policy What should be done Answered through research on definition, fact, and value 4. States Measurable Objectives • Management must concur about objectives Do they meet the business objective(s)? • Precise, results-oriented objectives Stated in measurable ways? • Realistic, credible, measurable, and compatible objectives Are they realistic or are they simply goals? Objectives (cont’d.) • Informational objectives fairly clear cut What information does the public need? When do they need it (before, during, after)? • Motivational objectives require Research Means to isolate effect provided by public relations • Behavioral objectives state What you expect the public to do Programmatic Approach Secondary/ Benchmark Informational/ Evaluation Behavioral/ Evaluation Motivational/ Evaluation Planned benchmarked evaluations Time Development (Evaluation) Refinement (Evaluation) Final Evaluation Objectives, cont’d. Informational Objective(s) Motivational Objective(s) Behavioral Objectives Business objective(s) 5. Employs Appropriate Methodologies • A public relations campaign hardly ever employs only one method • Best practices “triangulate” methods to ensure that all research questions are addressed • Methods are often classified as “qualitative” and “quantitative” or “informal” and “formal” Public Relations Methods • Surveys and Polls Descriptive Explanatory Attitude Opinion Polls • Content Analyses Descriptive Readability Readership • Communication Audits • Delphi Studies • Focus Groups • Field Observations Participant-Observation In-depth Interview • Case Studies • Experiments Qualitative or Quantitative Methods? • Qualitative: Questions of definition and value Intense, but small sample In-depth knowledge vs. Generalizability Examples Focus Groups Participant-Observation Informal Observations In-depth Interviewing Case Studies Qualitative or Quantitative Methods? (Cont’d.) • Quantitative: Questions of definition and fact Scientific Large samples Generalizability vs. In-depth understanding Reliable, representative sampling Examples Surveys (descriptive, explanatory, attitude) Opinion polls Delphi studies Experiments Secondary Qualitative Triangulation Quantitative Qualitative or Quantitative Methods? (Cont’d.) • Triangulation Uses secondary, qualitative, and quantitative methods to better describe, understand, predict, and control public relations campaigns Provides both representative sampling and indepth knowledge of the publics or audiences under study Takes the case study into the “real” world Quantifying via Measurement • Assigning numbers to categories • Four Levels Nominal (distinguishes only; counts, percent) Ordinal (distinguishes and orders; counts, percent) Interval (assumes an equal distancing between categories; counts, means, dispersion) Ratio (assumes absolute distancing between categories; counts, means, dispersion) Measurement Examples • Nominal England, France, Germany, Austria • Ordinal GNP: Austria ($1B), England ($2B), France ($3B), Germany ($4B) • Interval Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree • Assumes that the distance between SA = A = D = SD (problem is that SA=A, and D=SD, but DA) • Data are interval, but not “scalar” in that there is no arbitrary zero point • Ratio Actual date and time of birth; Bank account balance Attitude Measurement • Most Often Likert-Type Measurement Assumes interval data Respondents “react” to statements, typically by degree of agreement MUST have a “zero” point — a midpoint MUST have an ODD number of responses (3, 5, 7) MUST consist of two or more statements statement1. Strongly Agree statement2. Strongly Agree Agree Agree Uncertain Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Attitude Measurement (Cont’d.) • Creates a “scale” of statements that Range from Positive through Neutral to Negative Public Relations is an excellent career. Strongly Agree Agree Strongly Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Public Relations is a career. Agree Agree Strongly Uncertain Disagree Disagree Strongly Public Relations is no career at all. Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Disagree +2 5 +1 4 0 3 -1 2 -2 1 Actual reaction to statements is Coded as Scale Range = 3 (negative) to 15 (positive) Surveys vs. Polls • Polls – Short and quick – fact-based • Surveys – Longer – Definition- and fact-based – Allow for limited questions of value Poll & Survey Sampling • Sampling Scientific Sampling = Probability Sampling Group sampled represents the entire population from which it is drawn (cross-sectional; trend; panel; cohort trend) Non-Scientific Sampling = Convenience Sampling Group sampled is not representative of entire population, but only one limited segment (volunteer, snowball, quota, “man-on-the-street” 6. Programmatic PR Research • Best practice research is programmatic • Divided into three phases – Program development research – Program refinement research – Program evaluation research Program Development Research • Program Development stage requires: Communications goals Research goals • Communication Goals Establish actionable and measurable objectives Design overall strategy to achieve these objectives • Research Goals Understand the situation Relate this understanding to the communications opportunities Program Development Research Should Tell You • The circumstances creating the opportunity or challenge • Target audience(s) characteristics • What needs to be communicated to realize the objective • How ideas can best be communicated • Go beyond just turning out information… development stage helps to change, modify, or reinforce behavior Program Refinement Research • Communication Goals Make correct decisions implementing the PR or communication program • Research Goals Validate that decisions made are correct Supply the information necessary to choose between alternatives Why Program Refinement Research? • Pre-testing of messages Informative, Persuasive, Attitude Change, Attitude Reinforcement • Pre-testing of public/audience stance on objectives • Pre-testing communication strategies • Pre-testing for gatekeeper selection • Pre-testing for publics (Active, Aware, Passive, Latent) Program Refinement Research Examples • Types: Concept/Message testing studies (definition) Spokesperson selection research (fact) Format testing (fact/value) • Methods Focus Groups Polls (telephone/Internet) Informal Field Research Program Evaluation Research • Communication Goal Determine program/campaign’s effectiveness • Research Goals Performance measurements in terms of • Outputs: Air time, clippings, Internet “hits,” etc. • Impacts: What program/campaign did to audience(s) • Behavior: Were desired behaviors realized? 7. Research and the Budget • Research is a necessary, not sufficient condition for public relations • Research is a part of EVERY program/ campaign budget • Research permeates the program/campaign, plan research across the process • Integrated research is essential to effective public relations and should be built in to each budget Budgetary Factors • Circumstances • Availability of in-house personnel to conduct research • Commercial research firm availability • Whether the research has been budgeted across or simply as a budget “item” • The research question(s) asked Research Costs • Focus Groups: $1,000 – $4,500 per group • One-on-One Interviews: $250 – $2,000 per interview • Telephone Surveys: Small: $ 3,500 – $35,000 Large: $20,000 – $95,000 • Mail/Internet Surveys Small scale: $ 5,000 – $30,000 Large scale: $12,500 – $85,000 Stretching the Research Budget • Never sacrifice quality for price • Seek competitive bids Never take the low bid without examining the individual or firm’s credentials • Learn about research questions and budget appropriately Don’t conduct a survey when a focus group is more efficient When looking only for facts, consider a poll over a survey Never stop “participating” in the research experience All good researchers are Participant-Observers Continually seek informal data in the field Conclusions • Best Practice Public Relations Research Is programmatic Has clearly defined and achievable goals Has its objectives stated in measurable terms Addresses the appropriate research question(s) Employs a “triangulated” methodologies Has the necessary resources allocated to the research program