Researching the Public Opinion Environment

by Sherry Devereaux Ferguson

"Researching the Public Opinion Environment: Theories and Methods informs the reader on the rationale, purposes, theories, and methodologies involved in researching publics. The book is divided into four parts. Part I looks at theories and systems relevant to opinion research. Part II addresses the topics of monitoring and analyzing the media. Part III describes the basics of survey research, focus groups, Delphi techniques, stakeholder assemblies, and Q methodology. And finally, Part IV looks at the impact of the media.". "Although a number of books have been written on public opinion, few address both theoretical and methodological issues. Graphs, tables, and sample analyses help the reader to understand the numerous applications described in the book. Communicators can apply information acquired on key publics to plan and evaluate campaigns, track the extent to which messages have appeared in the media, assess organizational image, develop marketing strategies, and manage their issu