PUR3000 Final Exam Study Guide Chapter 8 Chapter 16 Chapter 8 Research Lecture Notes 5 Methods of Research All methods start and end with evaluation 1 Content Analysis Looking at the content of the materials in order to make a decision This is done every day in a very informal way 2 Secondary Analysis not often done in PR Also called desk research Taking data that was collected at one point in time for one reason and analyzing it in another point in time for a different reason o 2 Advantages o Very cheap o Very quickly done o 2 Disadvantages o The questions answered may not apply to your research o The data may be outdated 3 Controlled Experiment 2 groups are set up a null and and an alternative hypothesis You manipulate one group alternative and observe and do nothing to one group null o Solomon 4 Group Design o Participants are drawn randomly and assigned to 4 groups and apply the test treatment and observations to each group slightly differently O Test X Treatment O Observation R R R R O1 O4 X X O2 O3 O5 O6 o Null Hypothesis Ho O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 o Alternative Hypothesis H1 O2 O3 O1 O5 O6 o This test is done because outside things can happen to mess up experiments If O5 O4 we know nothing happened 4 Focus Groups Qualitative research method o Characteristics of a Focus Group o People discussing issues using target questions o People are usually unknown to each other to have independent thinking o Looks at a range and depth of feelings and emotions o Will NOT prove what will work o Tells us what will NOT work o Must be done with multiple groups o Big Ticket Items i Real Estate joint decision between people so we have pair focus groups ii Cars Internal Puplics employees o Uses of Focus Groups o Information for formal surveys uncover issues o Follow up to surveys o Test new ideas for programs o Identify decision making process in organizations o Identify needs o Test messages what focus groups are used for the most o Focus Groups Considerations o Is this really what you want to do o Number of groups 3 minimum recommended 5 6 groups o Number of participants per group recommended 8 12 people needed o Securing participants o Location for the groups usually focus group facility o Cooperation feeds for participants more people more money o Selecting a moderator you get what you pay for less money not as good of a moderator o Focus Group Costs o Participants food moderator expenses facility o Roughly costs 4 500 6 000 per group o Non probability Sample Cannot predict what is going on in the o Available Subjects take whoever you can get to take the population survey o Judgmental pick people due to a particular characteristic all females all in a fraternity etc o Quota people chose but not at random o Probability Sample one in which every element individual has an equal chance of being selected and an independent chance of being selected o Equal Chance in selection everyone has the same chance of selection o Independence in selection picking one person in no way influences picking another person o You can make an estimation from the population within a margin of error using probability sample 5 Public Opinion Surveys done to understand quantitative aspect and to follow up focus groups Types of Samples Types of Probability Samples o Simple Random Sample most basic theoretically draw a distribution very closely resembling the population not done often o Systematic randomly chose the first person then every Nth person chosen N number 11th person 7th person etc This is done the most o Stratified Sample rearrange the list of people to group them in homogenous variables then chose some from each group randomly Example rearrange group into economic class or race or job type etc o Cluster no pattern whatsoever Types of Samples in Terms of What Samples Do o Profile a description done one time and good for one time only of the population o Trend a series of profile samples different people sampled over time asking the same questions What is changing o Panel the same people over time asking the same questions Who is changing o Panel Issues o Attrition loss of people over time i People overthink the questions over a time period and become atypical no longer representative Methods of Data Collection o Personal Interview go door to door provides good information but is very expensive o Telephone traditional difficult to do anymore no one has home phone and people do not answer if they do not know the number o Mail hardly ever get any back o Internet no such thing as an internet phonebook so it s difficult to get a good sample not probable people have more than 1 email address o Lists used in politics o Random Digit Dialing a company generates phone numbers but still have problem of getting people to answer o Intercepts send people on location to ask for participation but gives up probability sampling Where Do We Get People Evaluation o Preparation o Adequacy of back round information o Appropriation of message o Quality of message o Implementation o Number of messages sent to media o Number of messages placed o Number who received messages o Number who attended the messages o Impact o Number who learned message content o Number who behaved as desired o Number who changed attitudes and opinions o Number who repeat behavior wanted o Impact Implementation Preparation Textbook Notes Chapter 8 Research is conducted to do three things 1 Describe a process situation or phenomenon 2 Explain why something is happening 3 Predict what will probably happen Strategic Research o Primarily used in program development to determine program objectives develop message strategies or establish benchmarks o Also called summative research is conducted primarily to determine whether a PR program has accomplished its goals and objectives Evaluative Research Surveys 1 Descriptive surveys offer a snapshot of a current situation or condition 2 Explanatory surveys concerned with cause and effect to help explain why a current situation exists Communication Audit o Research that often reveals disparities between real and perceived communications between management and target audiences Chapter 16 PR Writing Lecture Notes The Inverted Pyramid Summary Lead 1st Important 2nd 3rd cutting off the end Print vs Electronic Leads o Hard Leads print o Begins with the summary lead an introduction to story and answers 6 questions o What Most important to begin with is What and Why o Why o When o Where o How o Then adds facts in a descending order
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