Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program. CHAPTERCHAPTER 5 Research

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Topics Covered in Chapter 5 The importance of research Secondary research Qualitative research Quantitative research Questionnaire construction How to reach respondents

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Various types of research can be used to accomplish an organization’s objectives and meet its need for information. The choice of what type of research to use really depends on the particular subject and situation. As always, time and budget are major considerations, as is the perceived importance of the situation. The Importance of Research Research Action Communication Evaluation

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Consequently, many questions should be asked before formulating a research design:  What is the problem?  What kind of information is needed?  How will the results of the research be used?  What specific public (or publics) should be researched?  Should the organization do the research in-house or hire an outside consultant?  How will the research data be analyzed, reported, or applied?  How soon will the results be needed?  How much will the research cost? The Importance of Research cont.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Public relations professionals use research in the following ways:  To achieve credibility with management  To define audiences and segment publics  To formulate strategy  To test messages  To help management keep in touch  To prevent crises  To monitor the competition  To sway public opinion  To generate publicity  To measure success The Importance of Research cont.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Secondary research uses existing information in books, magazine articles, electronic databases to produce data. Primary research is produced when new and original information is generated through a research design that is directed to answer a specific question. The Importance of Research cont.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Qualitative research affords the researcher rich insights and understanding of a situation or a target public. Information may not be generalizable. Quantitative research is often more expensive and complicated, but it enables a greater ability to generalize to large populations. The Importance of Research cont.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 The Importance of Research cont.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Secondary Research Many public relations campaign begins with an inventory of organizational materials that can shed light on such things as: (1) the success of the product or service in the Past (2) analysis of what geographical areas provide the most sales (3) a profile of the typical customer who buys the product or uses the service

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Secondary Research cont. Literature searches are the most often used informal research method in public relations. Researchers can tap an estimated 1,500 electronic databases that store an enormous amount of current and historical information. The Internet is a powerful research tool for the public relations practitioner. Online search engines make a universe of information available to everyone.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Qualitative Research A great deal of public relations research is qualitative. Qualitative research is good for probing attitudes and perceptions, assessing penetration of messages and testing messages. Qualitative research methods are (1) content analysis, (2) interviews, (3) focus groups, and (4) copy testing, and (5) ethnographic techniques.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Quantitative Research Public relations professionals conduct polls and surveys using highly precise scientific sampling methods. Data sampling is based on two important factors: Randomness A large number of respondents A random sample means everyone in the targeted audience has an equal or known chance of being selected for the survey, which is also called probability sample. In contrast, a nonprobability survey is not random at all.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Quantitative Research cont. In any probability study, sample size is always a big question. National polling firms usually sample 1,000 to 1,500 people to get a highly accurate idea of what the U.S. adult population is thinking. The primary purpose of poll data is to get indications of attitudes and opinions.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Questionnaire Construction Errors can occurs with questionnaire as a result of improper wording and ordering of questions in a survey and even the timing of a survey. With advocacy research, surveys with questions that include highly charged words that elicit an emotional reaction are sent to respondents. These questions are considered to be “loaded” and should not be used by public relations professionals.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Questionnaire Construction cont. Responses to survey questions are influenced by events, and this should be taken into consideration when reviewing the results of a survey. Polls and surveys should be conducted when an organization is in the news or connected to a significant event that may influence public opinion. In neutral context, a more valid survey can be conducted about an organization’s reputation, products, or services.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Questionnaire Construction cont. Courtesy bias occurs when respondents choose answers that they think are the “politically correct” answer that the sponsor of the survey wants to hear or reflects favorably on them as a good worker or citizen. Researchers can try to avoid politically correct answers by making questionnaires confidential and by promising anonymity to the people who are surveyed.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 Questionnaire Construction cont. Answer categories can skew a questionnaire. It is important that answer choices are provided that cover a range of opinions. In general, “yes or no” questions are not very good for examining respondents’ perceptions and attitudes. A more way to obtain information is to use a Likert-type scale.

Copyright © Allyn and Bacon 2009 How to Reach Respondents Questionnaires come in several forms, including: (1) Mail questionnaires (2) Telephone surveys (3) Personal interviews (4) Omnibus surveys (5) Web and surveys Increasingly, surveys are being done via the Web and e- mail, but digital methods have drawbacks because the respondents are self-selected and may not be representative of the population as a whole.