This web site is designed to show several different ways of doing research for planning successful public relations programs. While there are many effective angles for doing research, each organization should choose which research plan is right for them. Public relations is the management function that identifies, establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom its success or failure depends. In order to maintain relations, research must be conducted to understand what the public is thinking.
Research is considered the basic foundation of effective public relations.
Many times public relations firms go straight to the planning and implementing phase of public relations, when research should be conducted first to help create an effective public relations program. Focus groups, surveys, Internet research and research on publics are all effective ways to conduct research for a public relations program. After the research is collected and analyzed, objectives and goals can be planned, strategies and tactics can be implemented and the program can be evaluated.