MMC 3420 PR-Advertising Research Syllabus

MMC 3420 PR-Advertising Research

Course Information Instructor: Deborah S. Bowen, Ph.D. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @DisneyDeborah Skype: bowensinlol

Office: CIS 3104 Office hours: Monday – Thursday, 9:00 AM – 10:45 AM, 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Appointments are appreciated! Drop-ins are welcome, but appointments will always take precedence. If these hours don’t work for your schedule, we can arrange a more convenient meeting via Skype. I can be reached reasonably quickly via Twitter, but longer discussions/emergencies/personal matters should be reserved for more appropriate forms of contact. If you choose to email, please give me a 24-hour response time. Then feel free to reach out.

Class hours: Class location:

Last day to drop:

Please note: the contents of this syllabus are subject to change at any time.

Course Description This course will emphasize theory and methods of research used by media professionals and academics in advertising and public relations across a variety of mass media platforms.

Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: • Understand the role and importance of research in helping businesses and organizations achieve defined goals through communication with their consumers and other constituents; • Define the role of public relations and advertising professionals and institutions in shaping mediated communications. • Research and evaluate information by methods appropriate to public relations and advertising management in a real world context, including the application of basic numerical and statistical concepts;

• Use traditional and emerging technologies from databases, online marketing, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and ethnographies, etc., to develop and better shape messaging strategy and research for today’s customer; • Apply concepts and theories in the use and presentation of images and information in preparing and presenting research; • Collaborate in groups/teams to achieve goals, meet deadlines, and share workload in producing research; • Understand gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and other forms of diversity in domestic society, and of the significance and impact of them in research for advertising and public relations in a global society; • Use professional ethical principles and work ethically in pursuit of truth, accuracy, fairness and diversity;

Course Objectives

To make effective strategic decisions, a practitioner of public relations and advertising must be informed of trends and changes in the internal and external environment of the organization. This requires research. Today’s practitioner is expected to know how to design and carry out the kinds of research that will inform organizational decision-making and creative processes for client work products. A practitioner must be able to speak the language of research. S/he must be able to critically appraise research and identify potential errors in design.

Research helps provide information for advertisers, marketers and public relations professionals to understand their product/service, target audience and the factors that influence brand communications to help them in making decisions. This course is designed to introduce you to sound and effective social science research methods that are commonly used by practitioners; identifying problems and issues of concern; understand your target audience, guide strategic planning, message development and overall planning of marketing communications; and evaluate advertising and public relations plans and campaigns. Readings, assignments and lectures are designed to help you understand and apply the principles of research, conduct several types of studies and problem solving skills, creative thinking and your ability to work independently to solve advertising and public relations issues.

Although a practitioner does not have to be a statistician, s/he must understand the statistics used in inferring data and research results, and must know which statistical procedures are most appropriate given the research question posed. Furthermore, s/he must be able to read computer-produced results of data analysis and make written and oral presentations of research results to intended audiences in language appropriate to engage the audience and ensure the comprehension of the data.

This course is designed to provide hands-on experience in collecting, interpreting, evaluating, and reporting social science research. The focus is on using qualitative and quantitative research methods for advertising and public relations program management: planning, monitoring and evaluating. Emphasis is placed on the research process, sampling techniques, data collection methods, evaluation of data and report writing.

At the completion of the course, students will possess an understanding of the reasons for conducting research, the methods used to conduct research, and the application of research in advertising and public relations.

This course supports the mission of the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communication to help prepare students to understand and relate to issues of interest to a multi- cultural, multi-racial, and otherwise diverse society.

Course Major Topics This course expands and introduces core concepts in research and provides an understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques as employed in mass media and public relations. Students are introduced to the research process, problem identification, literature reviews, measurement instruments, research samples, data collection, and presenting value added results.

The quantitative methods discussed will include content analysis, experiments and surveys. Qualitative methods discussed will include case studies, focus groups, and intensive interviews. Students will also be introduced to data analysis using the SPSS Software. This course will emphasize problem solving. You will work in groups to accomplish the requirements.

Prerequisites • Working knowledge of word processing (e.g., MS Word), spreadsheet (e.g., MS Excel), and graphic presentation (e.g., MS PowerPoint) software. • Competency navigating the World Wide Web, especially Internet search engines, and familiarity with the Web portal my.usf.edu/.

Required Texts 1) Jugenheimer, D. W., Bradley, S. D., Kelley, L. D., & Hudson, J. C. Advertising and public relations research. Second edition. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. ISBN: 978-0- 7656-2418-5 2) Other reading materials will be provided in class or on Canvas. Supplemental materials will be made available on Canvas.

Required Software • SPSS 22.0 2014 for Mac OSX or Windows. Available for electronic download via the USF Computer Store (www.computerstore.usf.edu) for $10.

Incomplete Grades Incomplete grades will only be granted when, due to circumstances beyond the control of the student, only a small amount of the required work remains undone, and the student is otherwise passing the course with no prior attendance issues.

Evaluation This course is a combination of discussion, frequent in-class exercises, and several online sessions. I will explain and/or expand upon some aspect of the reading during each class. You are expected to complete reading assignments and other required materials before the class in which they will be discussed.

Students will have many out of class assignments, all designed to demonstrate understanding and mastery of key ideas throughout the semester. Each of these assignments also works to prepare

3 the student for the final comprehensive project. Some of the assignments will be done individually, others within in a group.

Your groups will be chosen in class, and these classmates will be your team for the final project.

According to findings from research conducted by MIT, students can only remember about 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear and 50% of what they see demonstrated. But when they are actually doing it, student retention rates skyrocket to 90% - Time, August 19, 2013, P. 57

Below are descriptions of the assignments. Each will be discussed more fully in class. Should we deviate from the schedule, no assignment is due without a discussion in class first.

Here is a top-level gloss of what you will be doing (the assignments are in alphabetical order); your final major group project is broken out in detail following the calendar portion of this syllabus:

Content Analysis Your group will be analyzing the content of Be the Match collateral. You will be looking for specific constructs and will be using various methodologies. This paper should be five – seven pages, and will be done in your group. It will help to focus your group for the final project.

Field Study You will analyze human behavior regarding bone marrow donation without inserting yourself, and write a brief two to three page report detaining your findings. This is individual.

Readability You will be given a research report and you will write a paper that analyzes the ease of different target publics have in reading/comprehending the material. This paper will be two – three pages long, double-spaced. This is individual.

Statistics Individually you will complete a one to two page paper analyzing the sample provided to you in SPSS using multiple statistical tests.

Survey You will be handing in 15 – 20 survey questions in the correct format that you believe will ascertain what you want to know about your topic. The surveys will be distributed digitally or on paper in class to be pretested. This is a group assignment.

Grading Scale Your grade consists of individual assignments, group work, homework, and tests.

The final grade for this course will reflect all of the above. No one item is weighted more than others.

Writing assignments 75 points (25 points each) Exam 1 150 points Exam 2 150 points Field Study 100 points

Readability 50 points Content Analysis 100 points Survey Questions 50 points Statistics 125 points Final Project 200 points Total Points 1000 Points

The following grading scale will apply: A = 1000 – 900 points B = 899 – 800 points C = 799 – 700 points D = 699 – 600 points F = 599 and below.

In the School of Mass Communications, a student with a course grade of D+ or lower must retake the course in order to graduate.

Grading Philosophy

I view our relationship as if I am the employer and you are my employee, with emphasis on the end result, the tangible, not the effort you may have put into the assignment.

Most of us are average people who are above average in a few things if we are lucky. Therefore, when a student gives me just the basics of what was asked for, that’s average. That’s a “C”.

There is a misconception that a “C” is failing. It is average. However, many of you will not find the “C” or average acceptable.

Want to avoid the “C”?

Use correct grammar, correct spelling, adhere to style rules, and have knowledge of the proper form. The student who does not use and implement AP style rules (except where indicated), who uses bad grammar, who does not spell words correctly – that student should expect less than a C.

Complete the work and make sure the work adheres to the assigned components and flow.

Pay attention to the style, or flair in the work. I take off five points for every misspelled word (and words spelled correctly but misused – two/too/to, for example) or incomplete/run-on sentence I find. At some point I will stop grading if it is too poorly written. Use the Writing Center on campus for help with this: http://www.lib.usf.edu/writing/

What constitutes a grade of A? B? C?

An A is synonymous with excellence. The A student has mastered the rules, the information and the form, and the A student shows spark and creativity.

B-grade work is clearly superior to the work of other students. It exhibits a level of knowledge and performance that demonstrates clear understanding of concepts and skills taught in this course.

C-grade work reflects the baseline. It is what was asked for, with no bells or whistles.

Exams An exam will be based upon all course materials, including lectures, articles, and audio/visual materials that have been covered up to the time of the test.

It is the responsibility of the student to be informed of the date and time of the exam.

The exam cannot be made up unless the absence is a fully documented University-excused absence.

In general, a make-up test will be given ONLY in documented cases of (1) religious observance, (2) participation in University activities at the request of University authorities, (3) debilitating illness, or (4) compelling circumstances beyond the student’s control (reasons such as forgetting exam time and lack of parking, for example, will not be accepted).

It is the responsibility of the student to provide documentation for missed tests within one calendar week of the date of absence, regardless of any holidays during that one-week period.

All legitimate notes must include phone numbers for verification. I reserve the right to verify the content and authority of such notes. If you anticipate missing a test, it is your responsibility to notify me two weeks before the exam date to make alternate arrangements.

Any student who misses a test and fails to provide a sufficient reason or explanation, or fails to follow the above procedure will receive a grade of zero for the missed test.

Please ask questions throughout the semester on topics that require clarification.

Assignments Graded assignments provide hands-on experience with various research methods. Assignments will be provided in this syllabus and reposted on Canvas.

If you are absent when an assignment is explicated in class, you must get the materials from a classmate or from Canvas.

Every assignment must be uploaded to Canvas.

Assignments – unless otherwise noted – are due to Canvas on the assigned date PRIOR TO the start of class.

Canvas will time- and date-stamp your work for you, so there can be no arguments about when it was submitted. Please, please don’t ask for extensions. My students operate on a level playing field. No one is entitled to extensions. Plan accordingly.

Assignments must be typed in Times New Roman (or other standard font) with 1” margins. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and professional presentation count toward the grade. Please use just one space after a period, not two.

Participation

The purpose of participation is to assess your individual and collective ability to master the conceptual and practical skills required to manage a public relations research project, and to perform quantitative data analysis for a client.

Please have thoroughly prepared any assigned readings before coming to class, and contribute to the class discussions.

Team Management Students will elect a team leader, propose a team name, and develop a team contract.

The team contract should include the following components: • Team name • Name, phone number and email address of each member • Identification of a team leader who will serve as the liaison between the instructor and the team • An overview of what team members expect to gain from the project • Regular group meeting times outside of class, absence policy, and provisions for enforcing the absence policy • An explanation for how the group will divide the work • An explicit and concrete explanation of how any group member who fails to meet the standards set forth above will be dealt with by his/her fellow group members • A firing mechanism: Should your group choose to fire a team member who fails to meet specified group expectation, specifics must be written out in the contract. All firings are subject to approval by the instructor in her capacity as the team supervisor. Fired team member(s) will be expected to complete the whole project on their own and be judged against the same criteria as a team.

Classroom and Course Policies Distractions Social networking, e-mailing, taking phone calls, texting, or otherwise communicating with the outside world during class is not acceptable behavior unless you receive advance permission from me.

Please leave your phone in your bag/backpack.

Computers are for use only on in-class writing assignments or other activities as instructed.

Points will be deducted from the final participation grade of any student who makes the choice to be discourteous to his/her instructor and colleagues.

Attendance I expect students to attend class faithfully and to arrive on time.

Attendance will be taken at the start of each class meeting. A student who misses roll call must see me at the completion of the lecture in order to receive credit for attending that day.

If you are more than 15 minutes tardy, please do not enter the classroom.

Plan accordingly. Parking is notoriously awful. Traffic snarls are common. The line at Starbucks can be interminable.

But the start time for class is a constant. Plan accordingly.

Students with two unexcused absences will receive a deduction worth 1/3 letter grade deduction for every additional absence.

If you arrive to class more than 15 minutes late or leave with 20 minutes or more left of class, you will be counted absent.

Excused absences include observance of religious holidays, funerals for immediate family members, University-sponsored activities in which you are participating, disability-related issues, illness (with doctor’s note indicating necessity for bed rest and/or “quarantine”), your own hospitalization, and jury duty (after seeking postponement).

Unexcused absences include scheduled medical and dental appointments, parking problems, work commitments, personal travel, interviews, adviser appointments, and anything that would result in your employer giving you the side-eye when you requested time off.

To have an absence classified as excused, you must submit a written request with documentation in advance for scheduled absences or within a week of your return to class for emergencies.

Make-up Policies for Exams and In-class Assignments In case of a legitimate and documented emergency, and you provide two weeks’ advance notice that you will be missing class on the day of your final exam (or notice as soon as possible if you are physically unable to provide advance notice), a decision to administer a make-up exam will be made.

The exam should be taken up to three days prior to the day it is given in class or within three days of it being given in class.

No make-up will be given for in-class activities that will count toward your participation score.

E-mail and Canvas I will e-mail you any updates about assignments or the class schedule via Canvas.

All assignments and test reviews will be on Canvas. Please make sure that you have a USF email and Canvas account.

Plagiarism and Cheating All work in this class is expected to be your own original work. No plagiarizing. No recycling. Any assignment that is plagiarized from the Internet (or any other source), copied from a friend either this semester or from a previous semester, or recycled from any source/course will likely result in a failing grade for the class.

Audio Recordings

All unauthorized audio or video recordings of class sessions are prohibited. The exception to this is you can guarantee me millions and millions of YouTube views and our class becomes a greater sensation than Keyboard Cat, Psy, or Kid President.

Audio recordings that accommodate individual student needs must be approved in advance and may be made for personal use only during the semester.

Sale or redistribution of approved audio recordings or lecture notes is prohibited.

Course Values Integrity and Honesty From responses on tests to your written assignments, all work must be your own.

Completeness and Thoroughness The best work will meet all the objectives and requirements of the assignment.

Preparedness All reading assignments should be completed on time, and you should be prepared to participate in class discussions. Work should be turned in on time.

Accuracy Your facts must be accurate.

Professional courtesy Respect the opinions of others, work together in a spirit of cooperation, and treat your fellow classmates with courtesy.

Avoid disruptive classroom behaviors, such as holding private conversations.

Turn off all communication devices during class. Treat clients/classroom speakers with respect and courtesy.

All written assignments should be double-spaced in 12-point font. At the top of every paper must appear your name, the due date of assignment, and the topic/title. Pages numbers must appear at the bottom of each page. Proofread your written work before handing it in. More than three typos will result in a lower grade.

USF Standard Policies 1. Final Examinations Policy All final examinations are to be scheduled in accordance with the University's final examination policy.

o http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/FinalExams.pdf 2. General Attendance Policy

o http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/GeneralAttendance.pdf 3. Early Notification Requirement for Observed Religious Days Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in

writing, at the beginning of the term.

o http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/ReligiousDays.pdf 4. Academic Integrity of Students

o http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/AcademicIntegrityOfStudents.pdf 5. Disruption of the Academic Process

o http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/DisruptionOfAcademicProcess.pdf 6. Gender-Based Crimes USF has a commitment to the safety and well-being of our students. Please be aware that educators must report incidents of sexual harassment and gender-based crimes including sexual assault, stalking, and domestic/relationship violence that come to their attention. I am required to report such incidents in order for the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities or the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equal Opportunity can investigate the incident or situation as a possible violation of the USF Sexual Misconduct/Sexual Harassment Policy and provide assistance to the student making the disclosure. If you disclose in class or to me personally, I must report the disclosure and will assist you in accessing available resources.

The Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention, the Counseling Center and Student Health Services are confidential resources where you can talk about such situations and receive assistance without the incident being reported. o Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention: § (813) 974-5757 § http://sa.usf.edu/advocacy o Counseling Center § (813) 974-2831 § http://usf.edu/student-affairs/counseling-center o Student Health Services § (813) 974-2331 § http://usf.edu/student-affairs/student-health-services 7. Student Academic Grievance Procedures

o http://www.ugs.usf.edu/policy/StudentAcademicGrievanceProcedures.pdf 8. Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities are responsible for registering with Students with Disabilities Services (SDS) in order to receive academic accommodations. SDS encourages students to notify instructors of accommodation needs at least 5 business days prior to needing the accommodation. A letter from SDS must accompany this request. o See student responsibilities: http://www.usf.edu/student-affairs/student- disabilities-services/ o See instructor responsibilities: Student with Disabilities Services Faculty/Staff Handbook 9. Turnitin Privacy Policy In order to comply with privacy laws, students are not required to include personal identifying information, such as name, in the body of the document. Turnitin provides an originality report letting the instructor know how much of the assignment is original.

Please follow your instructor's instructions carefully regarding what identifying information to include. o How do I submit a Turnitin Assignment? 10. University Emergency Policy In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Canvas, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It's the responsibility of the student to monitor Canvas site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.

Course Schedule

Week One January 11: Introductions, overview of syllabus, and discussing WHY we research. January 13: Best practices in research Assignments Ø For January 13: Look through Michaelson, D., “Setting best practices in public relations research” presentation (http://www.instituteforpr.org/wp- content/uploads/Michaelson_09IPRRC.pdf)

Week Two January 18: USF is closed in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 20: Meet our client for the semester: Be the Match

Week Three January 25: Basic concepts of research; research ethics We’ll talk about the basic concepts of applied research and learn some key bits of jargon.

January 27: Historical and secondary sources Thanks to the Internet and search technology you have access to a wealth of information unimaginable even ten years ago. Today we’ll talk about strategies for sifting through that information to create something useful.

Writing Assignment One Choose a data resource available online – database, journal subscription, data warehouse, etc. – and discuss its positives and negatives as a resource. No more than two pages in length. Double- spaced. Due via Canvas by February 3.

Week Four February 1 and February 3: Interviewing, focus groups, ethnography, netnography Our first look at qualitative research techniques. Come prepared to talk about yourself as we practice in class.

Writing Assignment Two Create an ethnographic overview of the subject your choosing. No more than three pages in length. Double-spaced. Due via Canvas by February 17.

Week Five February 8 and February 10: Figuring out who to talk to, segmentation, audiences We’ll talk about a variety of sampling strategies and how to apply them in qualitative, quantitative, and informal types of research.

Begin Field Study Assignment Due via Canvas on February 25

Week Six February 15 and February 17: Questionnaire design, surveys and experiments It’s not easy to get started in creating your own survey or experiment. We’ll spend this session going over best practices in these quantitative research methods.

Please note: due to instructor absence, there is NO CLASS MEETING on February 15, 2016.

Assignment: Bring in a news story that reports findings from a survey or poll. Hard copy, please.

Week Seven February 22 and February 24: Understanding data Whichever research methods you use, at some point you’ll find yourself buried in a mountain of data. What then? You’ll learn a little something about statistics and we’ll begin our discussions of how to tell stories with data.

Week Eight February 29 and March 2: Catch-up/Review and First Exam February 29: Catch-up, questions, and review. March 2: The first exam will test what you’ve learned in the first seven weeks. Expect several multiple choice questions as well as some short answers. More details will be provided the week before the exam along with a brief study guide.

Week Nine March 7 and March 9: Content analysis and case studies Two more research methods to add to your arsenal.

Begin Be the Match Content Analysis Due via Canvas March 30. Only the team lead needs to submit the content analysis on behalf of the group.

Week 10: SPRING BREAK!

Week 11 March 7 and March 9: Focus on social media Whether you’re a rich researcher or a poor one, there are all sorts of online tools available to help you map and monitor your publics.

Writing Assignment Three

Find and explore one free monitoring tool for presentation to the class. Provide an analysis (SWOT is fine, but it must be presented in Standard Written English). No more than two pages in length. Double-spaced. Due via Canvas by March 22.

Week 12 March 28 and March 30: Pulling it together Today we’ll start bringing the pieces together and talk about how various research methods work together for use across a program of research.

Begin Readability Analysis Due via Canvas April 11

Week 13 April 4 and April 6: What does it all MEAN?

Reading for April 4: Week 14 April 11 and 13: Data analysis workshop. These sessions are important to your research project. We’ll work together to analyze your data and starting making sense of what you’ve discovered.

Assignment: Ø Bring your data to class in an Excel document

Week 15 April 18 and April 20: Packaging your research Even the best data collection is useless if it’s not presented correctly. We’ll strategize on how to present your findings to a variety of stakeholders, both internally and externally.

Begin Statistics Analysis Due via Canvas on April 27

Week 16 April 25 and 27: Catch-up/Review and Second Exam April 25: Catch-up, questions, and review. April 27: The second test will focus on the second half of the semester. Expect several multiple choice questions as well as some short answers. More details will be provided the week before the exam along with a brief study guide.

Final Exam Week Final group projects are due via Canvas on Friday May 6 at 5:00 p.m. Only the team lead needs to submit on behalf of the entire group.

Final Project Guidelines

Here are the primary components that you will need to submit the final project.

The front matter should include: 1. The title page with all the details: title of the project, name of student, school and purpose of submission. 2. A one-paragraph abstract. 3. The table of contents page with a page of list of tables etc.

The paper itself has several sections.

These sections should be formatted according to APA style guidelines and specifically geared to our client.

Sections Include:

1. Introduction. This is a brief introduction to the research problem inferred as result of observations, previous studies, political or social phenomenon or developments related to the mass media and audiences. Include research questions or the hypothesis to be investigated. Note: “A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to be improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or in practice that points to the need for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation.”

2. The need and significance of the study. This is an important aspect of applied research. What is the significance of and what are the implications of the topic under study? How will your study help in adding to the existent body of knowledge, theory, address debates and problems or help in decision-making? (Pure or applied)

3. Review of literature. An understanding of the past and related studies should be analyzed and cited. The summary of the literature review is important to go ahead with the objectives of the study. Present a comprehensive list of the books, journals, Internet sites, databases, newspaper articles etc. Use a stylebook and include these in a complete bibliography at the end of the paper.

4. Research questions /objectives and hypothesis. You have to narrow down the specific topic of study from the available literature as no such study has been conducted so far or it’s a repeat of the past data which needs to be updated over a period of time etc.

5. Research Design. Give a detailed description of the method/s to be used for the research problem(s) under study. Include the questionnaire, the sampling methods, operational definitions, and limitations of study, pilot study to be conducted if needed and the methods of analysis (This could be a pilot study only)

6. Techniques of Data collection. This is included regardless of the method (Survey, Content Analysis, In-depth Interviews) For this paper, you may take a sample of 30 cases only as it will be difficult to complete the analysis in the given time frame.

7. Data Analysis. Discuss the type of analysis and the statistical scores that have been used. Use graphics like tables, charts, graphs etc. for presenting the data. Describe in detail how the data

14 was analyzed and the results of the findings in relation to the objectives/hypothesis and the other related studies that have been done in the past.

8. Summary and Conclusions. Give a summary of the major findings and how they contribute to a theory of knowledge of mass communication and how they can be applied to decision-making processes in the many disciplines of mass communication. It is preferable, but not required, to try to focus on the field of PR.

9. Bibliography or Reference Lists. This is important to assess your ability to source out information. Make a complete list of all references mentioned in the text. Please do not limit yourself to Internet sources; include books and journal articles. Remember this is academic research.

Note: Please limit the number of pages to 15 - 20, double-spaced, Times New Roman.