A Practioner's Guide to Public Relations Research, Measurement and Evaluation

Don W. Stacks, Ph.D., is Professor and Director of the Public Relations Program in the School of Communication at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL. He has written more than 150 scholarly articles and papers. His awards include the Ralph Nichols Award for research in Listening (1984); the Institute for Public Relations Research and Education awarded Stacks its 1999 "Pathfinder Award." He was selected as the recipient of the University of Miami’s “Provost’s Award for Outstanding Research and Theory” in 1999. The Public Relations Society of America named him Outstanding Educator in 2003 and the recipient of the Jackson Jackson & Wagner Behavioral Science Prize in 2005. In 1992 he was named “Outstanding Professor” by University of Miami students. In 2007 he was elected as an Eastern Communication Association “Distinguished Research Fellow” and “Distinguished Teaching Fellow” in 2008. Dr. Stacks was recently elected to the first class of the Institute for Public Relations’ Research Fellows. Dr. Stacks has authored or coauthored seven books on communication topics, to include the award winning Primer of Public Relations Research, the National Communication Association’s PRIDE award and was named the Measurement Standard’s “measurement tool” for 2003. He edited the 2002 and 2006 Dictionary of Public Relations Research and Measurement. Dr. Stacks served as Vice President for Research for Market Analysis Research of Mobile, Alabama, from 1979 to 1980. MAR’s clients included First Alabama Bank, for which MAR conducted the initial research on customer perceptions of the use of ATM machines, marketing surveys for a variety of clients in south Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi, and conducted internal corporate research for Federated Stores. MAR employed a variety of communication research methods and was one of the first research firms to include sociometric analysis in its toolbox. He is a member of The Arthur W. Page Society, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, the International Listening Association, International Public Relations Association, and the National Communication Association. He serves on the editorial boards of most premier communication and public relations journals and directs the annual International Public Relations Research Conference, the only research conference focusing purely on public relations research. Stacks serves as trustee for the Institute for Public Relations, and is on the Boards of the International Public Relations Association, the Commission on Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation, and served for 10 years on the Commission on Public Relations Education’s board. Dr. Stacks received his B.A. ('71) from Northern Michigan University, M.A. (‘75) from the Auburn University, and Ph.D. (’78) from the University of Florida. Prior to receiving his M.A., he spent three years in the U.S. Army, stationed in Alexandria, VA, and Washington, DC.

Dr. David Michaelson has 30 years experience conducting research for numerous Fortune 500 companies, universities, and philanthropic organizations. Dr. Michaelson has an extensive background in communications testing, message development, measurement of communications effectiveness, and branding. He also has been head of research for Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and GCI Group, as well as a director of research at Burson-Marsteller. Dr. Michaelson is a research fellow of the Institute for Public Relations, 2008 recipient of the Jackson, Jackson & Wagner Behavioral Science Prize and was named the 2009 public relations measurement/research expert of the year by PR News.