research for pr and advocacy
DESCRIPTION
These three principles of research will help your institution command attention and trust in the media marketplace.TRANSCRIPT
Research forPublic Relations and Advocacy
NRCCUA Research SummitMarch 3, 2009
© Lipman Hearne 2009. This material cannot be copied or reproduced without permission
2
Today’s focus:• Accountability
• Transparency
• Authenticity
3
Today’s focus:• Accountability
• Transparency
• Authenticity
Why?• Growing skepticism due to misuse, overuse and
conflicting research results
• Necessity to cut through “noise” to command attention and trust
4
Critical questions to ask before conducting research:• Who’s going to use it? Who will see/read/hear it? What
insights do you seek?
• What decisions need to be made? What action needs to be taken?
• Who do you need to hear from?
• How will you get the information from them?
• How will you use the results?
5
Accountability• Responsible, truthful
6
Accountability• Responsible, truthful
Who do we need to be accountable to?• The press? Our clients? Policymakers? Our
partners? Our donors? Our staff?
“Facts are stubborn, but statistics are more pliable.”Mark Twain
7
For the press, be able to provide technical detail, such as:
• Exact language used in the instrument
• Total number of people contacted
• Number of people not reached
• Number of people who refused to answer
• Number of terminations
• Number of ineligibles
• Number of completed interviews
Accountability
8
Provide an explanation of your methodWhat kind of polls can be problematic?• Internet polls
• Problem: nonprobability samples
• Interactive voice response polls• Problem: anyone can answer the phone and respond
• Partisan or privately sponsored polls• Problem: Democratic and Republican pollsters, in
particular
Accountability
9
Go to great lengths to explain:• The organization’s point of view
• The author’s affiliations
• Conflicting data – avoid the “I hope they won’t notice” strategy
Accountability
10
Transparency = Full disclosureAccepted practices• Release the full questionnaire, results, methodology
• Identify research sponsor and fieldwork provider
• Disclose margin of error
“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”Naguib Mahfouz
Transparency
11
Ask yourself: Would I feel comfortable answering this question?
If you find yourself answering “Yes, but” or “No, except” – then don’t ask the question.
Transparency
12
Words matterSingle words that mean the same thing can convey different ideas.
• Taxes . . . Revenues
• MX Missile . . . Peacekeeper
• Pro-choice . . . Pro-abortion
• Welfare . . . Public assistance
Transparency
13
Consider presenting the data in person:• Invite someone with a different point of view to
share conflicting data
• Answer all questions
• Distribute the entire data set
Transparency
14
Research designed for media attention is usually inauthentic.
9 out of 10 of you agree with us.
Authenticity
15
Research designed for media attention is usually inauthentic.
9 out of 10 of you agree with us.
Research that is based on sound methodology, described articulately, is authentic.
76.2% of Americans are “generally” or “strongly” in favor of a change in the direction of X.
Authenticity
16
Authenticity• Validity: accuracy/correctness
• Are you measuring what you think you’re measuring?
Authenticity
17
Authenticity• Validity: accuracy/correctness
• Are you measuring what you think you’re measuring?
Achieving validity• Accurately reflect the concept (idea)
• Of particular importance in polling: content and construct validity
Authenticity
18
Responses can vary dramatically depending upon whether the question is closed- or open-ended(choices or no choices)
Authenticity
19
Responses can vary dramatically depending upon whether the question is closed- or open-ended(choices or no choices)
Ex: Respondents were asked what is the most important thing for children to learn to prepare them for life
• When given a choice of five options, 62 percent chose “to think for themselves”
• When asked in an open-ended format, 5 percent identified that notion
Authenticity
20
Polls do not typically measure how intensely respondents feel about issues, too.
Authenticity
21
Polls do not typically measure how intensely respondents feel about issues, too.
The beliefs of those who care little are often publicized as much as those who care a great deal.
Authenticity
22
What makes findings credible?• There is other research on the topic
• There is corroboration from multiple studies
Authenticity
