Measurements & Data Analysis
The Internal Information Divisions of military public
affairs offices is designed to provide the internal audience with
information that "affect their lives" and has been categorized
as issues pertaining to the people, mission and resources. Although
these areas are addressed in installation internal information
mediums, i.e., print, photojournalism, electronic (television
and radio), the effectiveness of the quality and quantity of the
information, the placement (location) of that information in the
mediums, and the length or time allotted for these types of information
has not been adequately assessed by installation commanders and
public affairs offices. Several research methods can be instituted
to render this information. This section addresses measurements
to: first, reduce uncertainty of the commander, public affairs
offices and the population (research questions 2, 3, 4, 5); second,
determine the internal information needs of each population (research
questions 1, 6, 7,); and third, review the process of how information
travels from installation hierarchy to the population (research
questions 8, 9).
First, semistructured face-to-face interviews and questionnaires
can determine what the installation commander, installation audience
and the public affairs offices finds as salient news to be delivered
through internal mediums. Using a semistructured interview for
the installation commanders and the public affairs officer is
the optimum method because it allows for information to be provided
in an in-depth manner while maintaining the core purpose of the
interview. This interview style is most effective for these respondents
and this situation (Sommer & Sommer, 1997). A mailed questionnaire
with a signed cover letter from the installation commander to
a random sample will gauge the installation audiences definition
of internal information. Mailed questionnaires are effective for
covering large geographical areas; respondents in this study are
located in and outside of the immediate proximity of the installation.
A random sample ensures that every member of the population has
an equal chance of being selected to provide input about the effectiveness
of internal information programs.
Collecting data from the commanders, the public affairs
offices and the internal population can address the uncertainty
levels of the public affairs office, the installation population
and the installation commander within the information exchange.
Descriptive statistics is an effective measurement to analyze
the data collected. Descriptive statistics provide numerical descriptions
of the raw data collected. They can be reviewed via bar graphs
and pie charts (Sommers & Sommers, 1997).
Second, a two-phased comparison of empirical data collected
from the installation newspaper readership survey and the current
installation newspaper, and those results compared to the aforementioned
mailed questionnaire will provide a baseline to better address
these three groups information seeking needs. In the first
phase, the data collected from the Likert-type scale compared
to the data gathered from a content analysis of the installation
newspapers will determine if the installation populations
needs - as recorded on the newspaper survey - are being met. Likert-type
scales produces scores that address attitudes of the respondents;
they address the level intensity and direction (for or against)
of the respondents feelings about the newspaper. (Most installations
use random samples to conduct the newspaper survey.) This data
should be compared to a content analysis of the current installation
newspaper. The content analysis technique systematically describes
the structure and content of the newspaper by rendering precise
figures. Reviewing the Likert-type scale of the newspaper survey
with a content analysis project would determine if the respondents
feedback impacted the structure and content of the installation
newspaper.
In the second phase, the results of this review (newspaper
survey to content analysis) can be compared to the aforementioned
mailed questionnaire to determine how internal information is
being used and if the primary medium (newspaper) is used because
it is the populations primary choice or if the population
listed other primary choices, like the Internet or television.
This will second comparison will determine if the right information
is getting to the right audience using the right medium. Also,
this second phase will reduce the limitations inherent in the
Likert-type scale, which often does not fully predict behaviors
and attitudes of the respondents (Sommer & Sommer, 1997).
To analyze this data, descriptive statistics will provide
information in both nominal and ordinal characteristics. Nominal
characteristics are categorical, as in gender, rank and age of
the respondent. Ordinal characteristics provide information about
the respondents preferences, as in first, second and third
choices of internal information mediums (Sommer & Sommer,
1997).
Third, the implementation of a few major case studies that
track how commanders and public affairs offices receive information
to be presented to internal audiences and consequently, the placement
of that information - encompassing both the selection of the medium
and the selection of the location within that medium - will render
information on the holistic approach of information exchange.
Case studies are an optimum choice because they provide an in-depth
investigation of a single incident, and is an effective measurement
tool when studying uncontrolled occurrences that do not lend themselves
to before and after observations (Sommer & Sommer, 1997).
The assumption is that installation commanders and public affairs
offices determine what information is salient to the installation
audience. What is unknown is the availability of other information
that may be overridden or altered for inclusion in the installation
newspaper that may be more salient to the receiver. Additionally,
the decision to give one story priority placement over another
story is also not known as a matter of receiver salience. Case
studies can identify the agenda set by public affairs and the
commander to provide specified information. Also, it can address
the degree to which the installation populations concerns
and interests are considered in the information exchange process.
While case studies are effective in aiding in recall, judgments,
motives or causes of behavior in incidents, they are not generally
generalizable. A few case studies of internal information pertaining
to people, mission and resources would provide a baseline for
review the trend in the information exchange cycle.