Primer of Public Relations Research, Third Edition

by Stacks, Don W.

• ISBN13: 9781462522705
• ISBN10: 146252270X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2016-11-23
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Thousands of public relations (PR) students and professionals have relied on this authoritative text to understand the key role of research in planning and evaluating PR campaigns. Revised and expanded to reflect today's emphasis on standards-based practice, the third edition has a heightened emphasis on setting baselines, creating benchmarks, and assessing progress. Stacks presents step-by-step guidelines for using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods to track output, outtakes, and outcomes, and shows how to present research findings clearly to clients. Every chapter features review questions and a compelling practice problem. PowerPoint slides for use in teaching are provided at the companion website. Instructors requesting a desk copy also receive a supplemental Instructor's Manual with a test bank, suggested readings, and case studies.

New to This Edition:

• Chapter on standardization, moving beyond the prior edition's focus on best practices.
• Chapter on different types of data sets, with attention to the advantages and disadvantages of using Big Data.
• Addresses the strategic use of key performance indicators.
• Covers the latest content analysis software.

Pedagogical Features:

• Each chapter opens with a chapter overview and concludes with review questions.
• End-of-chapter practice problems guide readers to implement what they have learned in a PR project.
• Appendix provides a dictionary of public relations measurement and research terms.
• Supplemental Instructor's Manual and PowerPoint slides.

Author Biography

Don W. Stacks, PhD, is Professor of Public Relations and Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Creative Support in the School of Communication at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. He served as Director of the Public Relations Program from 1995 to 2009. Dr. Stacks has written more than 150 scholarly articles and papers and has authored or coauthored seven books on communication topics. He is the recipient of honors including the Outstanding Educator Award from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA); the Jackson, Jackson, and Wagner Behavioral Science Prize from the PRSA Foundation; and the Distinguished Research Fellow and Distinguished Teaching Fellow awards from the Eastern Communication Association. Dr. Stacks has been an active communication consultant since the 1970s. His areas of expertise include organizational systems assessment, sociological/psychological organizational analysis, media relations, internal organizational communications, and leadership; he is also a trained listening specialist. Dr. Stacks serves on the editorial boards of numerous communication and public relations journals and directs the annual International Public Relations Research Conference. He is a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations and serves on the boards of the International Public Relations Association and the Commission on Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation.

Table of Contents

I. An Introduction to Research in Public Relations
1. Understanding Research: An Introduction with Public Relations Implications
2. Management of Research in Public Relations
3. Standards for Conducting Public Relations Research
II. Necessary Considerations for Quantification
4. Measuring Outcomes
5. Data and Data Sets
6. Descriptive Statistical Reasoning and Computer Analysis
7. Ethical Concerns in Public Relations Research, with Shannon A. Bowen
III. Research Methodology
8. Qualitative Research Methodology: Content Analysis
9. Qualitative Research Methodology: Historical and Secondary Research Methods
10. Qualitative Research Methodology: Case Studies
11. Qualitative Research Methodology: Methods of Observing People, Shannon A. Bowen
12. Quantitative Research Methodology: Sampling Messages and People
13. Quantitative Research Methodology: Survey and Poll Methods
14. Quantitative Research Methodology: The Experimental Method
15. Quantitative Statistics: Advanced Inferential Statistical Reasoning and Computer Analysis
IV. Obtaining and Reporting Public Relations Research
16. Putting It All Together
Appendix: Dictionary of Public Relations Measurement and Research