Joep P . Cornelissen Toward an Understanding of the Use of Academic Theories in Public Relations Practice

This article discusses a focal issue in the field of public relations: the way that practitioners use academic theories. The possible modes of use are discussed and a new perspective on science use —the translation model—is outlined. The premise of this model is that scientific knowledge is seldom used in an unaltered form in practice. Scientific notions are interpreted, reframed, and adapted to existing visions and presuppositions of practitioners. The article closes by identifying future research directions. Joep Cornelissen is a researcher and lecturer at the Center for Corporate and Public Affairs, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom. One of the major issues in the field of public relations is the insight into the extent to which thoughts and activities of practitioners are founded on or at least influenced by academic knowledge and research. It has been suggested that in the field of public relations an accurate understanding of the relation between its academic theories and research on the one hand, and the knowledge and tools a practitioner actually needs on the other hand, has been lacking. A good deal of public relations work appears to have been based on intuitive or experiential learning rather than grounded in or drawing on academic knowledge. Public relations scholars, such as Pavlik and Salmon and Toth, have argued that Public Relations Review, 26(3):315–326 Copyright © 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. ISSN: 0363-8111 All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.