Contemporary public relations practice has developed over the last several decades from the weak third sister in the marketing, advertising, and public relations mix to a full player. To help you keep up to speed with the exciting changes and developments in communication theory and practice, this book will provide you with the necessary understanding of the problems and promises of public relations research, measurement, and evaluation. As a public relations professional, this book will act as a guide to effective use of methods, measures, and evaluation in providing grounded evidence of the success (or failure) of public relations campaigns. This outstanding contribution takes a best practices approach--one that focuses on taking the appropriate method and rigorously applying that method to collect the data that best answer the objectives of the research. It also presents an approach to public relations that focuses on establishing the profession's impact on the client's return on investment in the public relations function, whether that function be aimed at internal or external audiences using standardized measures. By the end of the book, you will understand why and how research is conducted and will be able to apply best practice standards to any research done by supply-side vendors or internal research departments.