Qualitative Research Methods in Public Relations and Marketing Communications (2^nd Ed.)

The second edition of this highly accessible, core textbook continues to offer students a practical guide to the process of planning, undertaking and writing about qualitative research in public relations and marketing communications. Through clear explanations and illustrations, the book encourages undergraduate and master level students to engage with the main approaches and techniques for conducting critical, reflective investigations.

This new edition:

• Identifies the skills and strategies needed to conduct authentic, trustworthy research
• Highlights specific analytical techniques associated within the main research approaches
• Provides new sections on internet-based research, critical discourse analysis, historical research, action research and mixed methods research

Qualitative Research Methods in Public Relations and Marketing Communications will be invaluable for those undertaking research methods courses on public relations and marketing communication degrees, as well as those working on a dissertation.

Part I: Getting Started 1. The Nature and Usefulness of Qualitative Research for Public Relations and Marketing Communications 2. Selecting a Topic and Relating to Your Supervisor 3. Reviewing the Literature & Writing the Research Proposal 4. Ethical Issues and Access 5. Ensuring the Quality of Research Part II: Selecting the Research Approach 6. Choosing between Different Types of Research 7. Case Studies 8. Grounded Theory 9. Ethnography 10. Discourse and Critical Discourse Analysis 11. Phenomenology 12. Additional Approaches: Historical Research and Action Research Part III: Collecting the Data 13. Sampling 14. Interviews 15. Focus Groups 16. Observation 17. Written, Visual and Multi-media Materials Part IV: Analyzing, Interpreting and Writing about the Data 18. Analyzing and Interpreting the Data 19. Writing the Report Part V: Further Issues 20. Mixed Methods Research 21. Finishing Off

Dr Christine Daymon is an Associate Professor in the School of Media, Communication and Culture at Murdoch University in Western Australia, where she is Academic Chair for postgraduate courses in Communication and Media Management. An active researcher, her interests centre on communication in organizations, gendered issues in public relations, and cross-cultural learning.

Professor Immy Holloway is based at Bournemouth University, UK at the Centre for Qualitative Research, where she teaches research and supervises research students. She has written numerous books on qualitative research, some of which have been translated into several languages.