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Dr. Linda M. Perry Publication design and production are part of the management of communication between an organisation and its publics. Strategic communication supports the overall goals and objectives of the organisation. To plan effective communication, public relations managers must conduct formative research — that is, research that will help plan communication activities and determine communication objectives. The successful manager also conducts evaluative research — that is, research to determine whether objectives are being or have been met. This project is an exercise in conducting formative research. Your subsequent projects will be based on this research and will include plans for relevant evaluative research. Your first step is to determine the organisation for which you would like to conduct research and prepare publications. Be sure to select an organisation about which you can obtain enough information to complete this and subsequent projects. Also, remember that your publications must be designed to achieve public relations objectives, not marketing objectives, so make sure you can formulate public relations objectives for your client. This usually means the organisation must be large enough to undertake public relations communication and activities. Choose one main client and two backups and notify your lab instructor of your choice by the date listed in the schedule. Only one student can work with each client. First come is first served, so early notifications are encouraged. You must wait for your lab instructor to approve your client before making contact. The list of approved clients will be posted in the IVLE forum. Check this list to assure your choice is available before emailing your preferences to your instructor. Once you have selected and made contact with an organisation, you will conduct the kind of research you would to learn about a prospective or new employer or client. Later, you'll use the information you obtain to propose, justify and design a flier, a folder (unstapled brochure) and a website to meet public relations objectives. Your research mission is to understand your client, its relationships with its publics, its goals, its culture, and its public relations problems and/or opportunities. Use the client's existing publications, including its annual reports and websites, for sources. Try to obtain enough information to supply all the informationn specified, below. After you have obtained all the information you
can from existing publications, try to interview the person
responsible for public relations.to answer remaining questions, such
as information about the organisation's culture. Public relations
managers are very busy people, so please respect their time by getting
all the information you can from the organisation's publications
first and then listing your interview questions before the interview. Try
to take no more than about 15 minutes of your interviewee's time.
Email interviews are discouraged, as answering your questions in writing
is likely too time-consuming for the interviewee. Hint: While conducting research on the web about your client, make notes that you can use on the web critique, as well as using information found for the web critique to inform this research paper. The narrative report should be about 5 to 7 pages, typed flush-left in 10-12-point type and double-spaced. Add a cover sheet and a bibliography. Use the checklist (which is a duplicate of the grade sheet used by your instructor) at the bottom of this page to assure you have met all requirements. Hint: The excellent research reports often use the headings from the checklist for the reports' headings and subheadings. Carefully cite to your sources throughout the report, using the citation style of your choice: footnotes, endnotes,1 APA, AP, MLA, or Chicago. The report is due on the date announced in the schedule. Include the following: Background: Thoroughly describe the origins, early history; what the organisation is today, what it does; the relationship of parent and any subsidiaries; numbers and types of key publics, including demographics; geographical areas in which it operates; and any other information important to understanding the organisation. Sources for demographic data are included at the bottom of the lecture notes on audiences. Be sure to get enough information on your organisation's publics, particularly their demographics. You'll need the data for subsequent projects. (2-3 pages) Organisational Philosophy, Goals and Objectives: Describe how the organisation views its role in society, the organisation's basic mission or reason for being, its culture, its aspirations and its goals. Goals may be inferred. (2-3 pages) Public Relations Opportunity or Problem: Identify at least one public relations problem or opportunity that your publications can address. Name the key publics most affected or involved and to whom you will target your publications. You don't need to elaborate at this point on how your publications would address the problem/opportunity. Likewise, the creation of a publication is not an opportunity in and of itself. Rather, articulate a problem (or opportunity) the organisation currently faces that you think a publication can help. Note that a problem is not an opportunity. It's a problem, so call it what it is.(1 page) A. Footnote placed at bottom of each page or endnote placed on last page.
1 J. Grunig & T. Hunt, MANAGING PUBLIC RELATIONS, New York: CBS College Publishing (1984). 2 L.M. Perry, Organisation Research, http://lindaperry.us/nm3217/research.htm (retrieved Jan. 11, 2010). 3 L.M. Perry, How to Write a Communication Research Paper, Singapore: National University of Singapore publication (2010). 4 C. Cathay, personal interview, 11 Jan. 2010. B. Bibliography placed at top of last page. Bibliography Cathay, Chattee, personal interview, Jan. 11, 2010. Grunig, James E., & Todd Hunt, Managing Public Relations, New York: CBS College Publishing (1984). Perry, Linda. M., How to Write a Communication Research Paper, Singapore: National University of Singapore publication (2010). Perry, Linda M., Organisation Research, http://lindaperry.us/nm3217/research.htm (retrieved Jan. 11, 2010). Research Checklist Background: (2-3 pages.) _____ Origins, early history. Organisational Philosophy: (2-3 pages.) _____ How the organisation views its
role in society Public Relations Opportunity or Problem: (1 page) _____ At least one problem or opportunity identified
for your publications ___________ Content, including citations throughout, and cover sheet(70) |
