Qualitative Research Methods in Public Relations and Marketing Communications

This is a practical and highly accessible guide for novice researchers interested in conducting qualitative research in public relations and marketing communications. The authors take readers through each stage of the research process, from choosing a research topic and writing the proposal, through to selecting methods for data collection, and analysing and writing the research report. They illustrate key points with examples from advertising, marketing, media relations, promotions, employee communications, public affairs, and other forms of managed communication. Key features are: *theoretical background and practical guidelines *hints for using the internet *tips for overcoming problems and difficulties *comprehensive references *many useful examples, boxed features, summaries, and overviews *illustrations from international contexts. Qualitative Research Methods in Public Relations and Marketing Communications will be an indispensable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying the topic in taught courses or undertaking dissertation research.Many chapters will also be useful for practitioners in the field who intend to carry out research in their own settings. Case studies, grounded theory, ethnography, action research, and the Delphi technique are some of the research approaches that are outlined. Interviews and focus groups, procedures such as projective techniques and critical incident technique, observation and online methods are among the methods of data collection that are considered. Sampling and strategies for data analysis, including computer analysis, are also included. Issues such as generalisability, reliability and validity are appraised from a qualitative perspective.