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CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES
After reading this chapter the students should be able to:
2. Conduct online and database research.
4. Design a scientific survey.
6. Determine the best method of reaching respondents.
7. Conduct basic Web and social media analytics.
SUGGESTED PROJECTS AND DISCUSSION
Research is the first of four chapters that highlight the basic process of public relations
activity. It is a general introduction to the value of research and acquaints the students with
“informal” and “formal” avenues of fact gathering. Entire texts and courses focus on
research, but this chapter should give students a general orientation. Research, essentially,
involves a formal listening process that gauges your key publics, as well as industry trends.
1. Conduct an in-class focus group, with professor as moderator. Try to put your
class in a “conference room setting” for a softer, inviting atmosphere.
“Interrupt” the proceedings on occasion to explain verbal cues, shifting of focus,
emphasizing key points, etc. Try to involve as many students as possible in the
discussion, noting key psychographic elements that fit various audience profiles.
2. Dissect an actual questionnaire for structure of questions and exhaustiveness of
answer categories. What type of sample frame or audience is relevant? Then,
analyze a real data set from that survey and make generalizations of the data’s
impact with regard to objectives and evaluation.
3. Ask students to “observe” the campus environment between classes. From their
observations, have students develop a description of what the campus is like
when students are going from one class to the next. Once students share their
descriptions with the class, discuss the differences in the descriptions and the
role of researcher bias in qualitative research like observational field work. In
addition, discuss how public relations professionals can use/benefit from
observational research methods.
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4. Glen T. Cameron has developed PUBLICS PR Research Software to
accompany the textbook. The software aids students in grasping and conducting
target research. It can also be used to actively embrace the elements of Grunig’s
5. Go online during class and analyze databases (if available) such as: Burrelle’s
6. Have students go online and examine Google Analytics using the “Social Media
7. Ask the students to develop a research plan for the following scenario. Discuss
the importance of conducting research that informs the rest of your campaign
plan.
You are part of a student task force that has been asked to develop a public
relations plan to improve the relationship between your campus and local
community residents. All you know is that a strong relationship does not
currently exist; however, the task force decides to start by conducting research
to determine the best way to proceed with the public relations plan. What
research could you conduct that would be helpful to the aforementioned
situation?
8. Early in the semester or quarter, have students in class “pair up” and interview
each other for about 10-15 minutes. Then, the person should give a personality
profile of his/her partner. Explain the “research value” of interpersonal
communication/interviewing.
CASE ACTIVITY: CONDUCTING RESEARCH AT PRECISION CONTROL
The fact that the company doesn’t have a hold on its perceived image or reputation among
employees is a red flag that it should engage in more stringent, documented research
initiatives. First, secondary research could prove helpful and could include archival
research on past initiatives of the company to reach out to employee demographics to
understand the company’s “reach”. In addition, secondary research conducted online could
be helpful in determining what other companies in the same industry have done in terms of
employee relations efforts, and even to examine what other organizations in the community
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have used branding initiatives to strengthen their reputation among employees. Finally,
media research could also provide interesting insight into how the company has been
portrayed through media coverage. In regard to primary research, qualitative methods could
include focus groups and in-depth interviews with key employee groups, followed with
quantitative surveys that address satisfaction, loyalty, growth, vision, and other corporate
image variables.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
1. Why is research important to public relations work?
2. What questions should a person ask before formulating a research design?
3. Identify at least five ways that research is used in public relations.
(pgs. 125-127) Research is used in the following ways: (1) achieve credibility with
4. How can survey research be used as a publicity tool?
5. List at least five informal research methods.
6. What are online databases? How are they used by public relations professionals?
7. How can the Internet and World Wide Web be used as research tools?
8. What is the procedure for organizing and conducting a focus group? What are the
pros and cons of using focus groups?
9. What is an intercept interview?
10. What is the difference between probability (random) and nonprobability samples?
11. What guidelines should be followed when releasing the results of a survey to the
media and the public?
12. Describe three practical uses of Web analytics and social media monitoring.
13. Identify at least five guidelines that should be followed when preparing a
questionnaire.
14. What are the pros and cons of each of the following: mall questionnaires, telephone
surveys, personal interviews, piggyback surveys and Web surveys?
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Copyright © 2015, 2012, 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
• Mail: Pros – more control for a representative survey; economically can cover
large geographical areas; less expensive than conducting personal interviews
and large numbers can be included at minimal cost. Cons – low response rate;
slowness of mailing and returning
• Telephone: Pros – immediate response; more personal than mail and cheaper
than personal interviews; less intrusive than door-to–door interviews and finally,
high response rate. Cons – difficulty in accessing phone numbers.
• Personal interviews: Pros – wealth of knowledge gained. Cons – expensive to
administer.
• Piggyback surveys: Pros – Cheaper than sending out your own survey; expertise
in aligning with a credible firm such as Gallup or Harris. Cons – small snapshot
of public opinion with limited questioning; subject matter not always relevant to
general public.
• Web surveys: Pros – large samples are generated in a short amount of time;
they are more economical than mailed questionnaires or phone interviews; data
can be analyzed continually. Cons – respondents are often self-selected; there is
no control over the size of the sample or selection of respondents and
probability sampling is not achievable when a survey is made available on a
website to all visitors.
15. Why is it important to analyze and organization’s own website for drivers and
conversions?