The Essential Knowledge Project, a practitioner’s online guide to existing research-based knowledge in public relations, aims to publish 15 additional topics this year. New sections and editors include:
- Public relations history, Don Bates, The George Washington University
- Employee/organizational communications, Bruce K. Berger, PhD, University of Alabama
- Issues management, Elizabeth Dougall, PhD, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- Risk communications, Terry Flynn, PhD, McMaster University
- Theoretical foundations for PR, Vincent Hazleton, PhD, Radford University
- Corporate social responsibility, Robert Heath, PhD, and Lan Ni, PhD, University of Houston
- Philanthropy and public relations, Kathleen S. Kelly, PhD, University of Florida
- Investor relations, Alexander Laskin, PhD, Quinnipiac University
- Global public relations, Juan-Carlos Molleda, PhD, University of Florida
- New technology and PR, John V. Pavlik, PhD, Rutgers University
- Research, measurement and evaluation, Bradley L. Rawlins, PhD, Brigham Young University
- Agency/client relationships, Maria Russell, Syracuse University
- Reputation, Elliot Schreiber, PhD, Drexel University
- Change management and communications, Mel Sharpe, PhD, Ball State University
- Diversity and PR practice, Elizabeth L. Toth, PhD, University of Maryland
The free online service, accessible through the Institute for Public Relations’ website provides authoritative summaries of relevant research written for practitioners, with links to the original sources. The service launched earlier this year with four topics: “Trust and PR Practice” by Rawlins; “Ethics and Public Relations” by Shannon A. Bowen, PhD, University of Maryland; “Crisis Management and Communications” by W. Timothy Coombs, PhD, Eastern Illinois University; and “Consolidated Research Agendas” by Lou Williams, L.C. Williams & Associates.
The Institute for Public Relations is an independent nonprofit dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations™, bridging the academy and the profession, supporting PR research and mainstreaming this knowledge into practice through PR education.
