Research Fund Reports
Choosing Public Relations: Factors impacting career choice for the next generation of potential PR practitioners (November 2025)
Authored by Caroline Spence MCIPR, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at De Montfort University, this report examines the factors influencing career choice for students and recent graduates considering PR careers. Based on a survey of over 110 participants across 12 UK universities, the research explores awareness of PR as a discipline, barriers to entry, and the critical role of direct access to industry professionals and paid work experience in converting graduate engagement into employment.
Download the full research paper.
The Inside Story: Investigating internal communication in organisations with fewer than 500 employees (October 2025)
Authored by John Clegg Chart.PR, FCIPR, this report explores and analyses the recurring themes shaping contemporary internal communication practice in organisations under 500 employees. Key themes include the role of internal communication functions, leadership alignment, measurement and evaluation, building trust, and how communication needs evolve as organisations grow. A companion Skills Guide provides practical advice for smaller organisations to establish effective internal communication.
Download the full research paper.
Download the skills guide.
An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR? (September 2025)
Authored by Jenny Manchester MCIPR, this study explores the lived experiences of ageism among PR professionals through 44 semi-structured interviews with individuals across a range of roles, sectors, and career stages. The research investigates how age-related bias manifests in workplace culture, recruitment and retention practices, and attitudes towards older workers, and reveals that older professionals working in public relations face systematic barriers and cultural biases that favour youth over experience.
Download the full research paper.
Download the checklist.
The Missing Women study (March 2025)
Authored by Rana Audah, Ben Verinder, Josie Shepherd, Sarah Waddington CBE, Stephen Waddington and Isobel Wilson-Cleary, the Missing Women study examines the shortfall of nearly 4,000 female public relations practitioners who have either left the industry mid-career or failed to advance to senior positions.
The research unpacks the obstacles to women working in public relations in England and Wales, shining a light on the interconnected barriers that hold them back and providing solutions to improve gender equality in the profession.
Download the full research paper.
How can consistent accessibility and inclusion practice become part of public sector operational culture? (March 2024)
Authored by Leanne Hughes Chart. PR and Kim Tooke, this
study explores the challenges, barriers, and opportunities related to making
accessible and inclusive content in public sector communications.
The report includes findings from desk research and eight
qualitative interviews with public sector professionals, illustrating the value
of accessibility expertise, training, and senior support in ensuring accessible
and inclusive digital content.
Download the full research paper.
View the HTML version of this report.
Communicating evidence to policy makers – what works best? (Feb 2024)
Authored by Dr Caroline Wood Chart.PR, this report explores how evidence and information can be communicated to policy makers through many different means – from briefing papers to social media – and which of these are most effective in getting their attention. It includes data and interviews with policy makers about what features and formats make an information source most useful, from a policy making perspective.
Download the full research paper.
What does news media mean to Gen Z?: An investigation into the media habits of Gen Z in the UK (Feb 2024)
Authored by Rebecca Roberts, this research delves into Gen Z's unique news consumption habits, highlighting their preferences for a 'social first' news journey that has led to the rise of platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube as this generation's primary news sources. It concludes that, to engage this new audience, traditional news outlets must evolve their offerings to match Gen Z's changing news touchpoints and shifting patterns of discovery.
Download the full research paper.
Fish out of water: the experience of PR practitioners from lower socio-economic backgrounds, why it matters and what we can do about it (Feb 2024)
Authored by Caitlin Plunket-Reilly, this study delves into the systemic barriers to entry and progression within the profession encountered by PR practitioners from lower socio-economic barriers and the particular characteristics of the industry that make it feel impenetrable.
Download the full research paper.
Two accompanying toolkits have been published alongside the research. The first is a 'one-stop shop' for PR practitioners from lower socio-economic backgrounds to access resources on navigating recruitment, mentoring programmes, and wider support. The second toolkit is aimed at employers to support them in increasing socio-economic diversity in their organisations.
Download the toolkit for practitioners.
Download the toolkit for employers.
From Muckraking to Metaverse: 100 years of public relations education – learning for India (Feb 2024)
Authored by Noumaan Qureshi, this research examines the evolution of PR education amidst India's socio-economic shifts, exploring the impact of technology, globalization, and cultural diversity on PR practices, and offering insights for aligning PR education with future challenges.
Download here.
Stuart Baird FCIPR, Director BakerBaird Communications was a recipient of the PR Research Fund in 2021 and has produced the report, 'Levelling up the public relations profession' with the support of Elizabeth Bridgen MCIPR, Principal Lecturer, Public Relations, Sheffield Hallam University.
Download the full research paper, ‘Levelling up the public relations profession’
Martin Turner Found.Chart.PR, MCIPR, also a 2021 Research Fund recipient published his research into 'PR in a pluralistic society' in 2022.
Download a short guide to his paper - 'Insight: PR in a Pluralistic society '
Download the full research paper - 'Accessing public conversations: PR in a pluralistic society '