My experience is that once they do, students begin to find ways of interpreting the data in a descriptive way. Inferential analysis is both complex and beyond the scope of most introductory students. They leave the inferential analyses to research groups or academics who consult. Obviously, then, a public relations student who understands at least the gist of descriptive data analysis will have a better focus on why research is necessary in later classes and when actually working as a practitioner. I find that students who understand the role of research in public relations do quite well in internships and are asked more often to stay on than those who do not.
Evaluation research is an appropriate place to begin.
Evaluation research offers quantitative support to the argument that the public relations campaign was effective. It is conducted in some form or another in almost every public relations agency in the country, and in most corporate public relations divisions. The number of times a press release is published is offered to the client as evidence that the agency has done its job and provides some indication of the scope of the releases' distribution. This is a simple, yet effective, way to introduce research in the introductory level. When introducing evaluation research it is appropriate to discuss both survey and focus group methodology.