Week 5 - Public Relations Research

Monday, February 1, 2010 7:17 PM

For a public relations practitioner, research is one of the most important tool. Unlike what many people say, research is not a waste of time and money. It can be low or no cost. It is not a waste of time either, because for each project a public relations practitioner takes up, he/she needs to know at least some background knowledge of the project he/she is dealing with. If the public relations practitioner does not do his/her research, he/she is basically guessing and/or making assumptions about the problem, opportunity and solution.

There are different kinds of research methods that a public relations practitioner can do and it really depends on what the public relation practitioner is trying to gather from the research. The very basic kind of research is quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative gives you the 'what' and qualitative gives you the 'why' to a question or topic. Another type is the primary and secondary research method. Secondary research means that the information is gathered by someone else which is a cheaper method of research. primary research means that the information gathered is done by the practitioner himself/herself.

Research helps public relation practitioners to understand their target audience thus making their task more smooth sailing and effective. Information gathered through research can help public relations practitioners plan, carry out and evaluate their projects. However, it is critical that public relation practitioners are able to identify the appropriate methods of research to conduct because there are different kinds of research methodologies available. They must also be able to plan their time and budget well for the research.

On a basic whole, research aids public relations practitioners in their project and makes it more effective when it comes to getting the job done.

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Week 5 - Public Relations Research

Monday, February 1, 2010 7:17 PM

Monday, February 1, 2010 7:17 PM