Concept
administrative research
In Lazarsfeld’s 1941 distinction, communication research with empirical methods that serves the practical aims of a particular institution.
Administrative research is one end of the distinction in Lazarsfeld’s 1941 essay: communication research, mostly with empirical methods, that serves the given aims of a public or private institution. In the phrase Shepperd quotes, a “tool” that people or agencies use for given purposes. McQuail describes applied theory as aiming to use an understanding of communication to solve practical problems more effectively.
The label itself began as Adorno’s unflattering shorthand for Lazarsfeld’s radio research work (Pooley and Jeřábek). In Turkish literature it appears as “yönetimsel araştırma”.
Example
Research that measures the link between headlines and clicks in order to improve a newspaper’s sales policy.