Before conducting public relations research, it is important to: 1) keep preliminary research up-to-date by monitoring social media to track brand reputation; 2) supplement written data with focus groups and interviews to gather information directly from people; and 3) craft unbiased survey and interview questions that do not lead participants in a certain direction. Group research work should have a written contract outlining expectations and consequences for clarity. Researchers should treat people as individuals rather than mere statistics.