Research, is thorough and systematic investigation aims to discover or add knowledge or facts

or general rules. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase
our understanding of a topic or issue. At a general level, research has three steps, pose a
question, and collect data to answer the question, present an answer to the question research is
the main to any successful public relations, communications and or marketing efforts, not only in
the business world, but also in the non-profit and government sectors. Without research, those
who administer public relations, public affairs, promotional, and related communications
programs and activities for their institutions would be working in the dark, without any guidance
or clear sense of direction (Jenaibi, 2011)

Public relation, (PR), is the practice of deliberately managing the release and spread of
information between an individual or an organization such as a business, government agency, or
a nonprofit organization and the public. Public relations and publicity differ in that Public
relation is controlled internally, whereas publicity is not controlled and contributed by external
parties. Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their
audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment.
(Fraser, 2007)

The following are the need of research in public relation, public relation professionals use
research in the following way.

Research establishes a foundation for a public relations plan, Research allows public
relations professionals to learn and understand an organization, its goals and its target market. In
this baseline phase of research public relations professionals are able to judge current
organization efforts and use industry knowledge to give advice and provide direction for the
plan.

Research grants proper evaluation, the final activity in a public relations plan is preparing an
evaluation of the plan. Proper measurement and assessment can only be administered when
compared to baseline research. Therefore, if a baseline of research is not collected at the
beginning of a plan then the effectiveness of the final evaluation diminishes.

Research allows for preparation of change and industry trends, In addition to foundation
research, continuous research allows for preparation of change and industry trends. Continuous
research efforts involve monitoring and tracking a plan and are referred to as checkpoint research
or benchmark research.

Research it help to Avoid Biased Opinions, with research, a public relation company can
obtain a realistic view of how the public and clients currently feel about their work. Without this
important element, public relation companies have to rely on their own opinions. This means
they are using a biased view in order to make the company’s decision, which may not help to
create their good public image.

Research can be used as a Tool for Learning, Research is required not just for students and
academics, but for all professionals, including Public Relations officials. Research is important,
for it allows us to better understand the public relation world. Research allows public relation
professionals to learn and understand an organization: its goals, target audience.

Research Helpful in Solving Crisis, an estimate 90 percent of organization crises are caused by
internal operational problem rather than by unexpected natural disasters. Research can often
uncover trouble spots and public concern before they become page one, through research, we can
solve the crisis erupting in the proper functioning of the public relation work. In the time of
crisis, a public relation official finds the way out through research.

Research helpful into to Gaining Feedback, after a public relations plan has been formulated
and then put into practice, additional research provides feedback on the actual public relations
plan. This research allows the organization to determine if any of the objectives formulated for
the public relations plan has been achieved and to what degree. Knowing how effective the
public relations plan is at achieving the objectives helps the organization decide whether to
continue with the plan, make adjustments to the plan or to scrap the plan and begin formulating a
new one.

Research helps to test Public Relations Messaging, The research conducted by the
organization provides valuable information about how the organization should craft its public
relations messaging. The research provides feedback about what matters most to the public,
which the organization addresses or incorporates in public relations messaging. Thorough
research on groups the organization interacts with also supplies a list of media forms the
different groups engage in, letting the organization know the most effective methods of
delivering its message

Research helps to determine Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses, Research for a

public relations plan should involve a non-biased assessment of the organization itself. This
research analyzes not only the overall mission of the organization but also how far the
organization has gone toward achieving its mission. The research also gives a list and assessment
of all resources available to the organization that it may use in the implementation of a public
relations plan. Leadership in the organization also receives information about any liabilities or
possible internal threats that could jeopardize the public relations plan, allowing the leadership to
devise a plan for how to proactively manage these risks

Research help in selecting your media, when you put your message together, the next step is to
choose a medium for sending it and you can choose the best medium for your message to make
the difference between the effective and ineffective communication. Often have a wide variety of
media options from which to choose. You may choose to talk with someone face to face, write a
letter, send a message, or record a podcast with social media or by any technology. And you also
need research to stay updated on industry events that can be useful for your public relation
campaign.

Research helpful in Making your field, if you need to promote your business in the media, you
will have to field your story to editors, producers, or reporters. In most cases, other PR
companies or businesses will be competing for the space or airtime, your field has to be well
planned and well researched for it to stand out from the other fields, Look up the magazine’s
reader profile and editorial policy, or find out the ratings of the station or program you are diving
to. Be ready to response questions about your consumer’s business, this can make you appear
more knowledgeable and answerable, and helps build credibility for both your organizations and
your client the importance of research in public relations,

Research helpful in finding your market, it is important knowing your market to achieve your
brand marketing goals. This requires an analysis of the market. You should to know when
promoting a product or service is who your market is, this should be a market analysis as in
depth as possible to provide you will all the data you need to reach your target effectively. From
your analysis you want to know are you selling your product or services to males or females,
teenagers or adults, Market research includes more than demographics you have to examine the
behavior, lifestyle, and preferences of your audience. Knowing about your goal market will help
you identify what your message is and how to plan it in a way that your audience can understand
and appreciate

Research helpful to knowing your consumer, Customers are the individuals or companies that
are dealing with them and presented to them your services and products, and if you don't know
about your customers, you won't know how to reach then and you will tell them about your
goods or service or how to get it to them. You could be waste money in putting ads in the wrong
magazines or putting up banners in unsuitable parts of town. Or you could misjudge the price
your consumers are willing to pay. (Rhonda, 2009)

Research helps to achieve and build credibility with management, this means executives
facts not guesses and hunches, the inclusion of public relation personnel in an organizations
policy and decision making due to the finding research on excellence in communication
management research is strongly correlated with their ability to do research and relate their
finding to the organization objectives.

Conclusion, Research is the basic foundation of any public relations department it is a most
important key to any successful programs in all the organizations, because the research provides
important and exact information about the organizations or publics and also helps to facing any
problems and developing services for the organizations. In our country we found that not all the
organizations are interesting in researches and don’t have eligible employees to do scientific
research and also they don’t have background about the researches process, because most of
employees in public relations department in the country or institutions they don’t have degree in
public relations, but they have experiences about the public relations works.
 References.

Al-Jenaibi, B. (2014). Research practices in public relations organizations in the United

Arab Emirates. International Journal of Customer Relationship Marketing and
Management (IJCRMM), 5(3), 14-31

Bradley, B. (2011, May 17). The importance of research in PR.Retrieved 2011, December
12 from integrated Marketing Communications website:
http://bradleybulls.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/the-importance-of-research-in-pr/

Seitel, Fraser P. (2007).the practice of public relations. (10th Ed.)Upper saddle river, NJ:
Pearson’s prentice hall.

Rhonda, A. (2009, October 2). Know your customers. Retrieved2011, December 2 from
USA today website: http://www. usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/startup/week4-
knowyour-customers.htm.