Table Of Content

ebook THE GUILFORD PRESS PRIMER OF PUBLIC RELATIONS RESEARCH Primer of Public Relations Research THIRD EDITION DON W. STACKS THE GUILFORD PRESS New York London Copyright © 2017 The Guilford Press A Division of Guilford Publications, Inc. 370 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10001 www.guilford.com All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America This book is printed on acid-free paper. Last digit is print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Stacks, Don W., author. Title: Primer of public relations research / Don W. Stacks. Other titles: Primer of public relations research Description: Third edition. | New York : Guilford Press, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016015029 | ISBN 9781462522705 (hardcover) Subjects: LCSH: Public relations—Research. Classification: LCC HM1221 .S78 2017 | DDC 659.2072—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016015029 Preface W elcome to the third edition of the Primer of Public Relations Research. This book is the product of many years spent attempting to prove that research really does matter in public relations. My treatment is based on the belief that public relations professionals need to understand the research process—not that they will conduct research daily (some will), but that they will have to make important and informed decisions about hiring research firms, evaluating their proposals and end products, and helping to deter- mine how that research benefits the bottom line. The book is a primer for research and presents an analysis, in what I hope is a simple and direct way, of what research is, why it is conducted, and what strategies (methods) are appropriate to answer the questions being discussed. Further, it provides understanding of what statistics are, how they are interpreted, and what they actually tell the professional. The book also offers advice on how to present research findings directly and simply, avoiding what some call the “chi-square approach.” Finally, the Primer advocates for a public relations practice that takes into account three important issues: (1) a business-like approach, (2) establishment of standards for the practice of research, and (3) an understanding that we can predict outcomes as successfully as any mar- keting or advertising professionals can through the evaluation of measured outcomes as related to business/client goals and objectives. Since publication of the second edition, a number of changes have taken place that have made research even more important. The profession’s con- tinued movement toward setting baselines, creating benchmarks, assessing progress in a public relations campaign, and making final evaluations has v vi Preface become almost routine practice. The third edition focuses on several new dimensions that have improved our ability to evaluate public relations outcomes and present them to the client (internal or external), thus adding to our impact on research return on investment. First, probably the most important change in public relations research has been the move toward standardization. The second edition stressed best practices as cutting-edge research; the third takes it further and begins to set forth standards against which results can be assessed and evaluated. Second, the new edition introduces the reader to what has been labeled “Big Data.” Big Data are enormously large data sets that present both advantages and disadvantages to the researcher. Big Data and extremely fast and powerful computers are being used to set up predictive formulas (algorithms), which are then used in data analytics. Third, the definitional and strategic use of the key performance indicator (KPI; data that provide evidence of campaign performance against key pre-agreed criteria such as sales, number of inqui- ries, and clickthroughs) in public relations practice has expanded, partially due to the movement toward standardization, to include those most valued in the social media. The third edition, then, adds to our knowledge of research in public relations. It takes no shortcuts, it is a little more expansive, but it continues the premise laid out in the first edition: Research questions drive research method(s), which drive analytical tools, which drive evaluation. Of impor- tance are understanding how outputs, outtakes, and outcomes are defined, measured, assessed, and evaluated. As will be seen, the major methods have not changed dramatically, but the scope and ability of public relations researchers to obtain valid and reliable data have increased with a sophisti- cated understanding of the research process. Finally, several new analytical tools will be discussed from an approach of understanding more than actual running of the analytical programs. As in the second edition, the Primer includes aids to enhance understanding of the text’s material. Each chapter opens with an introduction to set the stage for the chapter’s material. The chapters conclude with review questions so that readers can test their comprehension of concepts, and a practice problem for implementing what they’ve learned when doing a public relations project. An Instructor’s Manual in .docx format will automatically be e-mailed to all instructors who request a desk copy of this book from The Guilford Press. Included in the manual are a test bank with multiple-choice, true–false, short- answer, and essay questions; suggested readings; chapter outlines; and case studies. Use some or all of these materials to gauge your students’ retention and comprehension. In addition, PowerPoint slides of selected illustrations and other related materials can be found at www.guilford.com/stacksmanual. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank a number of people who were instrumental to this edition’s success: Donald K. Wright, Boston University; Preface vii Shannon A. Bowen, University of South Carolina; David Michaelson, man- aging director, Teneo; and current graduate students Yi Grace Ji, Zifei Fay Chen, and Bo Ra Yook from the University of Miami. Much appreciated help came from Zongchao Cathy Li, University of South Carolina; Melissa D. Dodd, University of Central Florida; Marcia DiStaso, Pennsylvania State University; Koichi Yamamura, principal, TS Communications (Tokyo); Rita Linjuan Men, University of Florida; and Tina McCorkindale, CEO, Institute for Public Relations. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to my friends at The Guil- ford Press (I refer to them as “friends” because they have become that to me in my working through the third edition). First, to C. Deborah Laughton, thanks for seeing the merit in the third edition and challenging me to add the new material in such a way as the student and the professional will gain an understanding of the total research process: from secondary research to primary research to methodological considerations to data decisions to anal- yses to results and, finally, to evaluation. And, to Katherine Sommer, who became my own assistant editor and put up with a barrage of questions from me on a number of different topics and concerns—the third edition is better because of your help. Finally, to the rest of the folks at Guilford who have shepherded me through two previous editions—thanks for the faith! To all of those, including my family, who have helped me make this book one of the most referenced public relations methods books and one that has been highly awarded in the academic and professional worlds, and to my colleagues and students (undergraduate and graduate) who continually asked me for more additions, thanks for everything! DON W. STACKS Coral Gables, Florida