Research The word research is derive from a French word meaning travel through' Whether primary you

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ResearchThe word research is derive from a
French word meaning travel through. Whether
primary (you conduct) or secondary (previously
conducted), research is the backbone of the
public relations profession. It is universally
accepted that research must be the very first
step taken in public relations.Litwin on p. 19
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Reasons to Conduct Research

• Source Credibility
• Decrease top management isolation
• Assist in the persuasion process (identify
  attitudes, opinions and behavior)
• Identify key communicators (opinion leaders)
• Pretest messages
• Uncover trouble spots
• Generate news coverage through dissemination of
  survey results

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Formal Research

• Organized
• Methodical
• Scientific
• Objective truth about an audience under study
• More difficult
• Takes longer
• Costs more
• Universe and sample

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Informal Research

• Less organized.
• Less methodical.
• Less scientific.
• Just enough of a picture to satisfy research
  purpose.
• Less time, less cost.
• Less applicable to whole universe.
• Sometimes, its the only option.

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Quantitative Research

• Measures things mathematically.
• Time consuming and tedious.
• Very valuable.
• Measuring versus describing.

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Qualitative Research

• Describes a situation without necessarily
  measuring it.
• Picture instead of a scientific measurement.
• Can be formal or informal.

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Research Techniques

• Survey
• Content analysis
• Audit
• Interview
• Controlled Experiment
• Focus Group
• Document Search
• Readability Study
• Data Analysis
• Case Study/History
• Observation
• Advisory Panel
• Diary
• Self Analysis

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Survey

• Questioning an audience through a questionnaire,
  over the phone or in person.
• Probable and projectable.
• Census.

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Content Analysis

• Discovery of information about a series of items
  and factual statements about them.
• Doesnt answer why.

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Audit

• Comprehensive analysis of an organizations
  communication style.
• Content and style.
• How comm occurs how effective it is.
• Uses interviews, surveys, network analysis,
  content analysis focus groups.

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Interview

• Focused conversation with a target audience to
  discover information level, prevailing attitudes,
  and behavior (actual or potential) about certain
  issues.

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Controlled Experiment

• Test of relationships between variables.
• e.g. two baby foods.

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Focus Group

• Controlled discussion with six to eight carefully
  selected target audience participants to discover
  attitudes and opinions.

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Document Search

• Organized analysis of literature on focused
  issues.
• e.g. Analysis of messages in competitors ads.

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Readability Study

• Analysis of the readability of copy in an
  organizations publications.
• Could be part of a communication audit.

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Data Analysis

• Critical examination of information according to
  a purpose.
• e.g. a cruise line analysis of guest satisfaction
  with its ships special events program.

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Case Study/History

• Analysis of a situation in marketing, public
  relations or advertising to detect success or
  failure with a communication campaign or program.
• Reveals chief players, objectives, activities,
  variables, and effects.

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Observation

• Systematic visual recording of activities to
  collect data for analysis.
• Frequently overlooked.
• Bank teller activity for a fixed period to
  analyze the customer service.

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Advisory Panel

• Stratified group of representatives from a target
  public appointed to advise an organization about
  its policies or activities.
• Key Communicator Program group of influential
  community members appointed to advise an
  organization about issues, opinions and rumors in
  the community.
• Two-Way flow community members pass on info to
  key constituents.

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Diary

• Personal record of activities, usually about use
  of time, selection of activities, or impressions
  of campaign items.
• Usefulness depends on accuracy.

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Self Analysis

• Record of participants roles in a communication
  program and their impressions of the
  effectiveness of the tactics in the program.

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Sampling

• Selection technique to identify target audiences
  for research.
• Sampled audience should reflect actual universe.
• Scientific sampling yields probability (amount of
  error).
• Sampling Error chances that results from a
  scientific study will differ from reality.

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Math 220

• Statistical Methods

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Random Sample

• Selection where each member of the larger
  universe has an equal chance to be selected.
• Types include Simple Random Sample, Systematic
  Interval Random Sample, Random Digit Dialing
  Random Sample, Cross-Referenced Telephone
  Directory Sample, Cluster Sample, Stratified
  Sample Proportional Sample.

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Surveys

• In-Person Survey
• Intercept Interview
• Telephone Survey
• Two-Tiered Study (overall data focus group
  enrichment)
• Print Study

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Questionnaires

• Audience knowledge about issues.
• Ask questions that confirm their knowledge or
  openness to acquire new knowledge.
• Whats needed about how your audiences feel about
  issues, relationships, conditions and situations
  (actual and emerging).
• Consider variables.
• How will you analyze the data.

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Six Variables in a Study

• Demographic (age, gender, etc.)
• Media or Channel (face-to-face, print,
  electronic)
• Knowledge (level and ability to process
  information)
• Attitude (roots, nature, intensity, direction)
• Motivation (persuasive hot buttons, Maslows
  Hierarchy of Needs)
• Practice (behavior patterns, tendencies)

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Questionnaire Tips

• Easy to answer.
• Clear ideas, clearly expressed.
• Keep words and sentences simple, declarative and
  short.
• Avoid jargon.
• 10-15 words per question.

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Questionnaire Tips

• Pleasing, functional layout for printed
  questionnaires.
• Avoid clutter and distracting elements.
• Should look fun, not threatening and difficult.

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Phone Questionnaires

• Brief and to the point.
• Avoid long introductions and sentences.
• Practice questions aloud.

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Test Questionnaires

• Find out if it will work before you print and
  administer them.
• Pre Focus group of representative audience
  members.
• Logical flow dont skip back and forth between
  topics.

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Question Writing
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Question Writing
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Question Writing

• Provide necessary background.
• Dont ask too much.
• Avoid threatening questions (salary ranges not
  specific amount).
• Avoid hypothetical questions.
• Dont coach respondents.
• Let respondents speak for themselves.

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Open v. Closed Questions

• Closed audience responses are limited.
• Open audience can answer in any way it wants.

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Likert Scale

• Pronounced Lick Urt
• Named for Rensis Likert (1903-1981) psychologist
• Scale measures quality and strength
• Strongly agree, agree, no opinion, disagree,
  strongly disagree

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Focus Groups

• Can be first or second tier
• Select participants carefully
• Communicate with participants
• Appropriate site
• Clear agenda
• Pretest questions, processes, materials and
  procedures.
• Prepare
• One topic at a time
• No other organization reps.
• No jargon, but dont talk down

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Measuring and Evaluating PR Activity

• Continue or discontinue programs
• Continue strategy
• Expand or limit audiences
• Change messages
• Improve practices or procedures
• Allocate resources including staff
• Change organizational direction
• Improve products, services and marketing
• Identify new strategic relationships

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PR Audit

• Communication the intended message is sent to
  right audience
• Information the right audience receives the
  message and retains it for future use
• Attitude acceptance audience agrees that both
  message and meaning are appropriate for them.
• Behavior the audience overcomes any constraints
  and takes action based on message and meaning.