Public Relations Education Report 2024 4/4
Public relations research and knowledge transfer
Public Relations Research and Knowledge Transfer to Practice
As part of the research for this report we asked practitioners about the importance and value of academic research, accessibility of research, and the topics where academic research would be particularly useful now.
Despite the occasional dismissal of academic research in some circles, 87 per cent of respondents stated that they are “interested in learning about how academic research can be applied to practice” (34 per cent strongly agreed with this).
87 per cent of respondents stated that they are interested in learning about how academic research can be applied to practice
“Professional qualifications and academic research are both integral components of career development and knowledge creation across diverse disciplines”.
It is clear from our survey that the perceived value of academic research can be linked to the robustness of the research methods used and the absence of influence of commercial interests.
- 89 percent of respondents agreed that “Academic research is important because it is grounded in robust methods”.
- 55 percent of respondents agreed that “Academic research is objective as it is not influenced by commercial interests” (although it should be noted that 28 percent neither agreed or disagreed with this statement suggesting that the extent of commercial interest in academic research is unknown by many practitioners).
When it comes to finding and using academic research, less than one third of respondents (31 percent) said that it is “easy to find”. Twenty percent said that it is freely available – reflecting the requirement to pay for most articles.
26 percent of respondents agreed that academic research “Includes clear implications for practice”. Although 35 percent neither agreed or disagreed with this, suggesting a possible limited reading of articles.
These results suggest a very strong interest in learning from academic research that is severely hampered by open access to the information.
To complement the survey that was administered for this report, we also reviewed 247 articles published in six public relations journals in 2023. The breakdown for the articles is shown below:
- Corporate Communications: An International Journal: Volume 28 – 56 papers
- International Journal of Strategic Communication: Volume 17 – 27 articles
- Journal of Communication Management: Volume 27 – 34 articles
- Journal of Public Relations Research: Volume 35 – 22 articles
- Public Relations Inquiry: Volume 12 – 14 articles
- Public Relations Review: Volume 49 – 94 articles
Our analysis of the subjects researched is based on the publicly available abstract statements for every paper published from January to December 2023. We used a combination of Perplexity (a free AI-powered answer engine) and manual coding to determine the top-level subject areas shown below.
- Sustainability and corporate social responsibility (28 articles)
- Internal communication (27 articles)
- Crisis communication (23 articles)
- Social media and digital communication (20 articles)
- Strategic communication (15 articles)
- Activism (11 articles)
- Diversity, equity and inclusion (10 articles)
- Corporate social advocacy (6 articles)
Social media and crisis communication are also prominent secondary subject areas in articles.
Topics that were rarely covered in 2023 are:
- AI (1 article)
- Conspiracy theories (1 article)
- Disinformation (1 article)
- Measurement and evaluation (1 article)
- Influencer relations (1 article)
- Misinformation (1 article)
- Data and analytics (2 articles)
- Organisational listening (3 articles)
This analysis suggests that well-established subjects such as crisis communication, social media/digital communication, activism and, to some degree, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) continue to be of high interest to academics. Internal communication has risen up the research agenda in the past decade to the point where it is a well-researched subject today.
Surprisingly, there is relatively little attention given to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and data and analytics compared to other topics. There was also hardly any academic research published on AI in PR in 2023 in the journals we reviewed, perhaps because of the time it takes to publish peer-reviewed research.
This appears to be a case of academic research lagging practitioner interests and challenges. For example, there is extensive industry exploration of the impact of AI in PR, notably that published by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)’s AI in PR panel. Similarly, DEI has been discussed extensively by industry bodies by many years.
However, it should be noted that much of the public relations academic research is being conducted by academics in the US. It is therefore possible that it better reflects the interests of practitioners there and those interests are materially different from those expressed by practitioners in the UK in this report.
Topics explored in articles published for the three most popular subject areas
The table below summarises some of the papers that were published in 2023 within three popular subject areas.
What stands out from this table is the way that so many papers are focused on advancing knowledge that can be put into professional practice.
Many of the sustainability and CSR papers emphasise effectiveness, responsibility and stakeholder responses.
Many of the internal communications emphasise impact and understanding.
Many of the crisis communication papers emphasise effects and preparation strategies.
Academic research topics that would be useful for practitioners
As part of the research for this report we asked practitioners about the “topics where academic research would be particularly useful for you now”.
The table below shows the topics selected from a list provided.
These results suggest a disparity between the topics that most practitioners select and those that feature most prominently in journals in 2023. For example, artificial intelligence, measurement, data and analytics, and evaluation are all selected by many respondents to be “particularly useful” and yet rarely feature in journal articles published last year.
Strategic planning is also a topic that ranks highly in this list. It is possible that many articles could broadly be considered to incorporate elements of strategic planning without explicitly stating this in the abstract. Further, qualitative research would shed more light on what practitioners are looking for in terms of academic research for strategic planning.
We also asked for suggestions on other topics for research and the following were proposed:
- Audience analysis, including publics, stakeholders, and stakeseekers
- Communicating new, innovative or unpopular policies
- Healthcare / NHS/ Public Policy/ Government Lobbying/ Community Engagement
- Integration in broader management thinking Policy Influencing Public Affairs Sector specific topics like health
- PR as a stand-alone function and the conscience of an organisation
- Public demographics and protected characteristics
- Role, importance and use of public relations viewed from perspective of senior management and organisation leadership
- The future of the sector and how young people perceive the industry
- The right to communication – freedom of expression rights, disinformation, data, analytics and how generative AI will change how we work
- User experience and psychology engagement
In summary, this research provides some broad insights into the collaboration, or perhaps the lack of it, between academics and practitioners. There does not seem to be any overt discussion between academics and practitioners on topics of interest or concern. This is not necessarily a UK issue. Research in the US found that although practitioners were aware of academic scholarship and valued it, they did not actively consider it or use it in their professional lives due to issues of access, time, and relevance.
To be clear, we are not suggesting that academic research must always slavishly follow practitioner interests. It’s a two-way street. Practitioners can always benefit from useful knowledge on topics that may not be of immediate interest or concern.
As we have found in research for this report, practitioner interest in academic research is very strong indeed. More active dialogue between the two communities would be mutually beneficial.
Public Relations Training and Professional Qualifications
Our analysis of the training and qualification market in the UK suggests that fewer practitioners enrolled for training or a qualification in 2023 compared to 2022.
- The combined CIPR and PRCA training figure for 2023 is 4,406. This figure excludes free training – around 1,000 for CIPR.
- The number of practitioners who enrolled for a professional qualification in 2023 is 853.
It is entirely possible that the market is returning to pre-pandemic levels, reflecting a spike in training in 2021-22. However, this is difficult to verify as we do not have the data before 2022.
This can be contrasted with a more optimistic outlook as, according to a City and Guilds Training Trends 2023 Report, organisations see training as the top driver for growth with 63 percent stating that they will be increasing investment in their training over the next 12 months.
This analysis is based solely on data provided by the CIPR and PRCA. It is not intended to be a figure for the overall training market. There are many other smaller training providers in the UK. It is therefore best read as a snapshot.
This year we asked practitioners about the importance and value of professional qualifications.
- 70 percent of respondents said that ‘A professional public relations diploma is important for professional education’ (20 percent strongly agreed)
- 47 percent of respondents said that ‘My employer values communication practitioners who have a professional diploma qualification’ (11 percent strongly agreed)
This reflects the evolution of professional qualifications that we discussed in more depth in our 2023 report.
The following verbatim comments in our survey provide some deeper insights into the benefits and value gained from undertaking a professional qualification.
“It gave me a greater insight into theory”
“It has helped me to think more strategically about PR”
“Having transitioned from advertising to PR & Comms, taking the diploma gave me the confidence and legitimacy to enter a completely new practice”
“It consolidated my experience, helped me place my thinking and practice into a wider context and built my confidence in my ability to work at a more senior level”
“Changed my outlook from tactical to strategic”
“I am able to refer to methodology and frameworks and use this as evidence for best practice when dealing with managers with no comms training”
“It has validated my experience, extended and deepened my theoretical understanding and boosted my marketability”
“Knowing the theory behind just ‘what feels right’ brought me a lot of confidence and heightened expertise”
There is a sense from many of the comments provided in our survey that qualifications provide the theory and knowledge that builds confidence and expertise. This enables practitioners to be more effective and to develop their career. A qualification can be useful at any stage of a career. At PR Academy we have a broad range of students from diverse backgrounds and ages. This is exemplified in the following two quotes from respondents in the survey:
“I am coming to end of my PR diploma, the first professional PR education I have ever done, despite 30 years’ experience. I have found the course very useful in terms theory and skills, and already I am putting into practice some of the things I have learnt – in particular better planning and measurement. (By and large, I have also been comforted to know that what I have been doing is mostly on point!) Having been freelance for most of my years (following a 5 year spell in an international agency, my professional development fell off the radar, largely due to [lack of] funding). Back in full time employment, in house, I was told I needed to have a post grad qualification to further my career beyond my current banding, and it has been funded”
“I am grateful to have been able to study after the age of 50 as it really is never too late to change paths. The CIPR qualification has earned me respect from my employer and within the PR industry”
Public Relations Education Report 2024
- Introduction and executive summary
- Public relations degrees and the marketisation of higher education
- Skills policy and apprenticeships
- Public relations research and knowledge transfer
Bios
Kevin Ruck
Kevin is the co-founder of PR Academy. He is the editor and co-author of Exploring Internal Communication, published by Routledge and now in its 4th edition. He is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Communication Management.
Richard Bailey
Richard has taught and assessed public relations at university level for 25 years. He has edited PR Academy’s Insights pages since 2017 and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the CIPR in 2023.
PR Academy
PR Academy delivers all the CIPR qualifications in addition to three PRCA Diplomas and the AMEC Certificate in Measurement and Evaluation.
Further information about courses is available at: https://pracademy.co.uk/courses/
References
City & Guilds. 2023. Training Trends 2023. Unlocking investment, realising potential. Available at: https://www.cityandguilds.com/-/media/cityandguilds-site/documents/what-we-offer/employers/training-trends-2023-pdf.ashx
Edwards, L. and Hodges, C. (eds). 2011. Public Relations, Society & Culture: Theoretical and Empirical Explorations, Routledge
Hayes, R.A, Robertson, S.L., and Preston, A.N. 2023. Does public relations scholarship need better PR? practitioners’ perspectives on academic research. Public Relations Review. 49(1) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2022.102273
Nothhaft, H. and Zerfass, A. 2023. Public Relations in a Postdisciplinary World: On the Impossibility of Establishing a Constitutive PR Theory with the Tribal Struggles of Applied Communication Disciplines in Botan and Sommerferldt (eds) Public Relations Theory III, Routledge
