The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication: A Guide to Internal Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, and Leadership

Step 2: Develop a Research Methodology

Develop a detailed “map” of how you will achieve the research objectives outlined in Step 1. Here you plan the details of your research effort; consider different options; select research methods; and develop schedules, budgets, and research instruments.

Type of Research to Conduct

In order to meet your objectives, identify what kind of research you need to conduct, such as:

• Initial research that establishes benchmarks for future efforts
• Monitoring research that looks at programs in progress
• Evaluation research that looks at the effectiveness of programs after they are completed
• Exploratory research that tells you whether there are problems within your organization
• Descriptive research that tells you about ...