Public Relations Research (Part 2) Principles of Public Relations Ragas

ALWAYS Look At the SURVEY METHODOLOGY Sponsor of the study and/or name of firm conducting the study A description of the sample (size of sample and population generalizing to) Dates of data collection Exact question wording

THE POWER OF RANDOM SAMPLING How large a sample size does one need to get a fairly accurate gauge of public opinion: Nationwide: 1,000-1,500 Statewide: 500-750

QUALITATIVE research Emphasis on achieving depth of knowledge rather than breadth; rich, detailed insights This data may not be generalizable Qualitative research methods include: Interviews (often one-on-one) Focus Groups (moderator with a group) Copy /Message Testing Ethnographic techniques (i.e., non-participant observation)

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Qualitative Quantitative “Soft” data Open-ended questions Example: What did you think of Matt’s class? (fill in blank) Rarely generalizable (often uses non-random sampling) Exploratory Emphasis on details (qualities) Provides depth of knowledge “Hard” data Close-ended questions Example: How satisfied are you with Matt’s class? (mark answer on a 5 point scale where 1 = very unsatisfied and 5 = very satisfied) Generalizable Descriptive or explanatory Emphasis on trends/numbers (quantities) Provides breadth of knowledge