Research Paper (Undergraduate Students))

Deadline 5/3/2000, 6 p.m.
We will have an informal in-class discussion of the papers you have written; please bring one extra copy.

Using Hendrix's Rope Model, write an 8-to-10-page PR Program Plan for a legitimate company, a PR firm representing a corporation, a non-profit organization, a government agency, an advocacy group or an issue of your choice.  The following outline should help you in this effort. Use 1-inch margins, 12 pt. Times New Roman or Times type, double-spaced.  Remember to propose only activities you would deem as ethical and professional.

Engage in some critical thinking and write a concise (yet thorough), insightful paper with a meaningful title.  Ensure that you
discuss all four areas of the Rope Model (Research, Objectives, Programming and Evaluation).  Explain in each of the four areas what you propose to do to carry out the PR program plan.

The use of an outline before writing and subheads in the paper (Introduction, Research, Objectives, Programming, Evaluation and Discussion) will greatly aid the quality and organization of the paper.
 

Here's a simple outline that may help you write the paper:

Cover Page
Include a cover page with your paper that includes:

The Paper Title (use a meaningful title that is to the point)
Where the paper is being submitted (A paper submitted as partial fulfillment of the PR Case Studies course, Spring 2000)
Your Name
Your Title (Undergraduate Student in the Public Relations Division)
Your Academic Affiliation (College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Communication, East Tennessee State University)
Your address
Your phone number
Your e-mail address
and the Date

I. Introduction
    Give an overview or background on the PR case.  Explain the situation briefly.  Specify on which area of public relations your paper focuses:  media relations, internal communications, community relations, public affairs and government relations, investor and financial relations, consumer relations, international relations, relations with special publics or crisis communications.  (Ideally, your paper will include discussion on two or three of these areas.)

II. Research (6-10 sources)
A. Explain the various types of research you propose to do on behalf of your client.
     (include all aspects of research in the Rope Model.)
B. Conduct some preliminary client research on the company or industry you are including in your proposal.
C. Conduct some preliminary research on a major competitor and the relevant media.
D. Explain whether you are doing opportunity or problem research and why.
E. Explain what kinds of audience research you will be doing and why.
F. Explain what quantitative and qualitative research methods you will use.
G. Conduct some library research on your topic. Use Chicago style with endnotes for citations.  Use Communication Abstracts and electronic databases discussed in class to locate relevant citations and articles.  Organize the literature in a logical order such as by topic or chronologically.  Use this research to examine similar campaigns that have bee conducted previously and to study articles based on persuasion and mass communication theories that may be applicable to your campaign.

III. Objectives
A. Write the objectives of your proposed campaign. (Include all aspects of objectives in the Rope Model.)
B. Include input objectives.
C. Include impact objectives and explain whether they are informational, attitudinal or behavioral.

IV. Programming
A. Explain what programming or tactics you would use to conduct the campaign.
(include all aspects of programming in the Rope Model)
B. Include Theme (or slogan) and Messages
C. Include Action or Special Events
D. Include Uncontrolled and Controlled Media
E. Include discussion about Effective Communication (all the parts)

V. Evaluation
A. explain how you would evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign (include all aspects of evaluation in the Rope Model)
B. Explain how you would evaluate the informational, attitudinal and behavioral objectives of your campaign.

VI. Discussion
    Give a brief overall assessment of the the PR program plan you have developed.

Here's a link to the Rope Model for your review.  It would be a good idea to re-read and study Chapter 2 in Hendrix for a thorough review of the Rope Model as well.

###