Relaciones Públicas y asociacionismo académico en España: AIRP, la
Asociación de Investigadores en Relaciones Públicas
Authors: Puentes-Rivera Ivan , Hernandez-Martinez Salvador , Cuenca-Fontbona Joan 
Published: December 2020

Associationism, a habitual professional and academic practice in all
fields, present in Spain various peculiarities in the case of Public
Relations, suffering from a lack of recognition and identification as an
independent discipline since its inception. In the professional field, this
leads to the appearance of multiple associations that, with different names
and many times obviating the words Public Relations, bring together
professionals in the sector, but in the field of university research and
teaching there is no such associative tradition. In order to fill this gap,
AIRP, the Association of Researchers in Public Relations of Spain, was
founded in 2004. 16 years after its creation, this article analyzes the
meaning and usefulness of said association, both at the beginning and at
present, and takes stock of the evolution of Public Relations in Spain
throughout this decade and a half, in the professional field and, above all,
the academic one. A methodology based on a semi-structured interview with
three of the four AIRP founding professors and a content analysis of various
documents, such as the census and the entity's web portal, is proposed for
this. Among the results obtained, the academic impulse that the networking
and associative work of the majority of Spanish researchers in the field has
entailed for Public Relations, who before the existence of AIRP worked
independently; a boost that translates into greater scientific recognition
of the profession and a notable improvement in the indicators of scientific
production associated with it, with the consequent greater presence of the
discipline in the study plans and the promotion of specialized teachers.
Therefore, the importance of associationism is also corroborated in the
academic, non-professional sphere, especially in the case of disciplines,
such as Public Relations in Spain, which needed an important work of
dignity. A process to which the high level of Spanish PR researchers
undoubtedly contributes, which has allowed many of them access to full
professor and even professorial positions, something unthinkable a few years
ago. In relation to the eternal debate on the correct translation into
Spanish of the term Public Relations, the researchers are committed to
maintaining the name Relaciones Públicas which, although in the professional
field is elusive, in the academic field it remains, even in the name of the
Degree study. Finally, in relation to the history and evolution of AIRP, the
entity has notably increased the number of partners since its foundation,
counting on a presence in the majority of universities that offer
Advertising and Public Relations studies. This expansion, which will
continue to be promoted, must be compatible, however, with its vocation as a
specialized entity, absolutely focused on the study of Public Relations. The
entity's most immediate challenge is the preparation of the White Paper on
the Scope of Public Relations, a guide for the preparation of study plans on
the subject.