The Importance of Research in PR
Why PR needs Research
The process of asking questions and finding answers that produce useful information relevant to the project at hand. Without research and analysis practitioners can only guess or make assumptions about the problem, issue or opportunity and about the situation.
Research helps to:
- Identify/ define issues
- How people feel about the decisions
- Understand the motivations that drive publics and effect behavioral/attitude changes
- Shapes communication plan
Research Process
The research process is said to be about ‘before, during and after’. Meaning that the researchers of an organization need to monitor and research the following
- Inputs- the planning stage of research process. Is about objectives, tactics and the message received
- Outputs- implementation phase of the researched plan
- Outcomes- evaluation of success of research plan
Types of Research
There are many types of research, there is Primary and Secondary and qualitative and quantitative research
Secondary
- Internet searches for previous research
- Electronic files or corporate hard drive
- Reviewing previous media clipping for the converge of issue
- Talking
Primary
- Field research such as data collection with experts
- Formal research such as research through a specific method
- Qualitative and quantitative research
- Mixed methods approach using bother qualitative and quantitate
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is research that explores ‘why’ of a topic or question. It is usually very unstructured and is difficult to repeat. It is an analysis of results that is more subjective. Usually qualitative data is done from a small, non-representative sample.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research is research that explore the how many of a sample. It is used with a structure technique and uses large representative samples. It is easily replicated and an objective analysis of the results. Quantitative dada is always used with numbers.
Evaluative Research
Formative Research
Formative research can include benchmark research. It is the process of collecting information about a situation before a campaign is launched.
Summative Research
Tracking research– the progressive monitoring of awareness and reactions to campaign adjustments if necessary.
Post-campaign research– accesses the impact and a measure against the objectives such as what has the campaign changed since it’s launched.
Media content analysis– measures media output by assessing the number of reported stories and the content.
Designing surveys
Surveys must quantify data. Surveys should have the number and type of questions as measuring instruments. Surveys use sampling which answers the questions of who, how many and how. Surveys also must have non-probability; meaning friends or family of the surveyor must not take them.
Conduction of Focus Groups
Focus groups focus on the attitudes and motivations of the groups selected. Most focus groups are between 6-12 people and explore and provide feedback on experiences.
Online Research and Evaluation
There are many ways in which you can research online activities and evaluate them. Some examples are
- Google antics
- Facebook statistics
- Blog sites statistics
- Twitter counter
- Klout- individual statistics based on all social network profiles
- Google alert.
Conclusion
There are many different ways in which PR practitioners and businesses can research for campaigns. There are different theories, which can be simple or complex to follow. Personally, I like the more simple ways of researching, using surveys and quantitative data. I think this way is better as it is easier to draw conclusions from simple numerative figures, rather than making conclusions from complex qualitative data. Research provides a deeper understanding for a PR practitioner that can be beneficial when creating campaigns about certain issues.
Blog Review
Amy Barham
This week I reviewed Amy’s Blog that was on the topic of research in PR.
I think her blog was really great to read because it is well set out and easy to follow. She also described what research help PR practitioners to do, what types of research there are and also explored qualitative and quantitative research. She also included a little bit one what she learnt from her tutorial that week which was insightful. Overall, I think Amy’s blog has been well though out and a helpful resource for his topic.
Below is the link to her blog
Public Relations 