AWARDS
Upon abstract acceptance, authors of accepted papers will be invited to compete for award competition by submitting full papers of no more than 20 double-spaced pages (inclusive of tables and references) by January 27, 2023. The International Public Relations Research Conference awards in excess of $10,000 annually for papers submitted for award consideration. Submissions are limited to one and only one award and monetary awards are given to the first author of multiple-authored papers, who must then divide the award among co-authors.*
There is no guarantee that all awards will be made in any given year. Some awards, as described in the “selection process” of each award, are evaluated following the double-blinded procedure by the IPRRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors. Some are evaluated by both groups and then validated by the sponsor. Some awards are selected directly by the submitter. Evaluation metrics are available at the end of this webpage.
Arthur W. Page Center Benchmarking Award
This $1,000 award, sponsored by the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication at Pennsylvania State University is for the top-ranked research paper dealing with ethics, social responsibility, or leadership. This competition is open with no restrictions regarding authorship. Selection Process: Papers for this award are evaluated by the IPPRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition.
Baylor University Department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media Top Ethics Paper Award
Sponsored by the Department of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media, the top-ranked paper dealing with ethics will receive an award of $1,000. This is open to all with no restrictions to authorship. All methodologies are acceptable, including the development of ethical philosophy and theory. The check will be presented to the first author. Selection Process: Papers submitted for this award are evaluated by the IPRRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition
Best Paper on the 26th IPRRC theme
This $1,000 award is sponsored by IPRRC Advisory Committee and is for the best paper that reflects the theme of the 26th IPRRC “Research supporting the profession: Difficult Topics from Fake News to Corporate Advocacy and Quiet Quitting.” The paper may be theoretical, methodological, research-based, or a case. Selection Process: Papers for this award are evaluated by the IPPRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition.
Boston University Award for the Top Paper about Public Relations and the Social and Emerging Media
This $1,500 award is for the top paper about public relations and the social and emerging media. Selection Process: Papers for this award are evaluated by the IPPRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition.
Fullintel Media Insights and Impact Award
This $1,000 award, sponsored by Fullintel—a leader in media monitoring and measurement—recognizes a top-ranked research paper focused on showing impact and delivering actionable insights, with priority for research that supports the use or development of value metrics or analysis that impacts the profession. This is open to all with no restrictions to authorship. Selection Process: Papers for this award are evaluated by the IPPRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition.
International ABERJE Award
This $1,000 award celebrates research conducted on South American public relations and corporate communications focusing on employee relations, media relations, branding and public relations, historical responsibility, supplier relationships, community public relations, sustainability, national brand, new narratives in communication, or crisis communications. Selection Process: Papers submitted for this award are evaluated by the IPRRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition.
Koichi Yamamura International Strategic Communication Award
This $1,000 award will be presented to the best paper on international strategic communication. Selection Process: Papers submitted for this award are evaluated by the IPRRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition.
Patrick Jackson Body of Knowledge Award
Patrick Jackson was a leader in the behavioral approach to public relations. He counseled a wide range of clients including many of the largest corporations, public interest causes, and non-profits. He established a body of research that has been of critical importance to extending public relations strategy with a focus on outcomes and organizational impact. This award will be given for research that focuses on Pat Jackson’s theoretical and/or strategic contributions to the profession of public relations found primarily at, but not limited to, www.patrickjacksonpr.com. The abstract should specifically focus on Pat’s literature and extend or expand to today’s public relations milieu. Research in any public relations function or functional approach is acceptable. To be a candidate for the award competition, the research must first be selected as an abstract. The winning paper will be posted to the PatrickJacksonpr.com website for access, published in the IPRRC Proceedings, and lead to further research by public relations professionals and scholars. The award of $500 will be presented to the senior author. Selection Process: All submitted papers will be evaluated by the Advisory Committee and Board of Directors and validated by the sponsor.
Peter Debreceny Corporate Communication Award
This $500 award is open to students who conduct research in the area of corporate communications using any methodology. The check will be presented to the first author. Selection Process: Papers submitted for this award are evaluated by the IPRRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition
Plank Center Award for Leadership in Public Relations
Sponsored by The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama, this award is for the best research demonstrating leadership in public relations. It is open to all methods but must provide practical implications to the profession and senior communication officers in particular. Collaborative (academic/professional) research is preferred. The award will be reviewed by the IPRRC Advisory Board and then submitted to The Plank Center for validation. The award is for $1,000. For inquiries, please contact IPRRC at iprrc.org@gmail.com or Dr. Karla Gower at (gower@apr.ua.edu).
University of Georgia ADPR Excellence Top Paper Award for Advancing Theory and Practice
Sponsored by the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia, this $1,000 award is for the top paper that advances excellence in public relations research and practice via demonstrated creativity and innovation in theory and/or methodology. This competition is open with no restrictions regarding authorship. Selection Process: Papers for this award are evaluated by the IPRRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition.
University of Miami School of Communication Top Student Paper Award
Sponsored by the University of Miami School of Communication, the top-ranked paper submitted by a student or a team of students will receive a check for $1,000. Selection Process: Papers submitted for this award are evaluated by the IPRRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors as part of the overall paper award competition.
Notes:
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Only accepted abstracts are eligible to apply for the award competition.
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Applicant must submit the full paper (completed research), no more than 20 double-spaced pages inclusive of tables and references, by January 27, 2023.
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For multiple-authored papers, the distribution of funds and tax obligations fall on the first author.
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All award-winning papers must be included in the proceedings. The acceptance of the award is regarded as consent to have the paper included in the proceedings.
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Award Competition Scoring Metrics (each paper is reviewed by three IPRRC Advisory Committee and Board of Directors following a double-blinded procedure)
Total score: 100 pts
Introduction (20 pts)
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Is the paper interesting?
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Does the intro draw to the point of the paper?
Literature Review (20 pts)
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Follows an appropriate logic?
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Follows an appropriate style manual?
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Leads to a better understanding of the topic under study
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If quantitative, yields interesting research questions or hypotheses?
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If qualitative, provides deep insight into questions of interest?
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If case study, provides a thorough understanding of the problem, solution, result?
Method (20 pts)
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Method is appropriate for the questions/hypotheses?
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If quantitative, is the design appropriate?
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If qualitative, is the content analyzed appropriately?
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If case study, the approach taken is appropriate for public relations?
Results (20 pts)
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If quantitative, are the appropriate statistics used and reported?
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If qualitative, does the analysis provide a deeper understanding of the case?
Discussion (? out of 20 pts)
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Does the paper advance our body of knowledge of public relations?
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Does the paper propose future research that will advance public relations?
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Does the paper tie to the public relations profession or to pedagogical advances?