UAB Research

The UAB collects trend data annually in order to understand the practice and the practitioners who undertake the Accreditation in Public Relations process. This data includes surveys sent to every:

• APR candidate after sitting for the computer-based Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations.
• APR candidate who participated in a Readiness Review, immediately following the panel.
• Student after sitting for the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations examination.

This research is analyzed annually and illuminates such things as:

• The perceived benefits for pursuing the APR
• The perceived view of APR by employers
• Which study resources successful APR candidates found most helpful
• Areas in which the computer-based Examination could be improved

In addition to these practical and applied uses of research to guide the APR process, the UAB actively shares their work with the scholarly community. Academic publications create an opportunity for third-party experts to review the analysis and assumptions of this UAB-collected data, acting as a watchdog to ensure that the highest standards are being upheld. The following peer-reviewed articles were published in PR Review.

• Role enactment, employer type, and pursuit of APR
• 2010 Practice Analysis: Professional competencies and work categories in public relations today.
• Accredited vs. non-Accredited: The polarization of practitioners in the public relations profession
• Does Accreditation matter in public relations practice? How age and experience compare to Accreditation.

Testimonial

The UAB is constantly checking the pulse of issues related to APR, the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations and the examination in general in order to best serve its publics of current and future APRs. 

Dr. Kaye D. Sweetser, APR+M
Associate Professor
San Diego State University

Have your own APR+M story to tell?  Email accred@prsa.org