Primer of Public Relations Research

Don W. Stacks, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Public Relations/Corporate Communication in the School of Communication at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. He served as Director of the Public Relations Program from 1995 to 2009 and Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Creative Support from 2009 to 2013. Dr. Stacks has written more than 300 scholarly articles and papers and has authored or coauthored 10 books on communication topics. He is the recipient of honors including the Outstanding Educator Award from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA); the Jackson, Jackson, and Wagner Behavioral Science Prize from the PRSA Foundation; and the Distinguished Research Fellow and Distinguished Teaching Fellow awards from the Eastern Communication Association. Dr. Stacks has been an active communication consultant since the 1970s. His areas of expertise include organizational systems assessment, sociological/psychological organizational analysis, media relations, internal organizational communications, and leadership; he is also a trained listening specialist. Dr. Stacks serves on the editorial boards of numerous communication and public relations journals, is editor of Communications Research Reports (vols. 31–33), and directs the annual International Public Relations Research Conference. He is a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations and the Arthur W. Page Society and serves on the boards of the International Public Relations Association and the Commission on Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation.