Comment: When Research Takes the Long Road: A Journey to Publication

Last month, Routledge published ‘Race, Diversity and Social Mobility in the Public Relations Industry’ Race, Diversity, and Social Mobility in the Public Relations Industry as part of their 'Global PR Insights' series. Writing an academic book is rarely straightforward but this particular work somehow took eight years to complete. Why such a lengthy journey? 

I hope that the story which follows will give comfort, and maybe inspiration, to those with stagnant research projects which seem too good to discard.

In 2017 I had an idea for a research project: What tangible difference do diversity initiatives make in the public relations (PR) industry?  My early interviews with Black, Asian and ethnic minority PR practitioners produced findings that ended up in the 2018 Chartered Institute of Public Relations' ‘Platinum’ book of practitioner essays.  I wanted to develop these findings into an academic journal article, especially as industry reports demonstrated that PR was remaining solidly white and middle class despite industry desire for change.

And this is when life intervened—as it inevitably does. Workloads rose, and an elderly driver jumping traffic lights straight into me and my bike resulted in three months in a wheelchair and a lengthy time off work. And then, just as I was due to return to work, the global pandemic upended professional and personal lives.  

In 2022 I looked at my research results again, ready to pick up the project. However, the 2020 murder of George Perry Floyd Jr., and the and the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement, catalysed a profound shift in societal consciousness which included compelling a critical examination of prevailing norms and practices in professional spheres. The result was that my research findings looked rather dated and many more interviews were needed – a task which needed the time and commitment I was struggling to find.

The year 2023 marked a turning point, though I didn't realise it at the time. While working at my previous university I managed to secure a research sabbatical to finish another project and at the same time I was introduced to a visiting researcher from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Ileana Zeler. We wrote a journal article together and it appeared that our very different, but interweaving, approaches turned us into a highly effective team.

I then saw that Routledge were looking for contributions for their ‘Global PR Insights’ series of short books. This seemed like the perfect vehicle for my long-defunct project. With the longer format, and a research collaborator, the project could take a new form. We decided to write a book which illuminated theories and discussions around race, diversity, and social mobility through the authentic voices of those experiencing discrimination within the PR industry and with a focus on those who had experience of initiatives designed to increase diversity.

We conducted and analysed new interviews that captured contemporary experiences and found that the difference between the findings of Project 1.0 and Project 2.0 was stark. No longer was racial discrimination seen by interviewees as something that could be overcome through talent and hard work; it was now central to all discussions on discrimination and was frequently compounded with areas such as social class, location, and accent (the latter a surprisingly common theme) to deepen discrimination. 

‘Race, Diversity and Social Mobility in the Public Relations Industry’ has arrived at a moment when research like this is needed more than ever. The book not only examines diversity's organizational benefits but also provides a platform for the often-silenced voices of PR practitioners from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds, alongside others facing workplace discrimination. This allows us to show the lived experience of the many aspects of discrimination, demonstrate how it occurs, and importantly how it affects individuals and the organisations employing them.

In the book’s conclusion we highlight the urgent action needed if the PR industry (and society as a whole) is to become into a more diverse and equitable space, especially since studies show that the PR industry is becoming more white and middle class, not less.

I’d like to think that the eight years of detours and delays in getting to publication is not necessarily a negative thing. The finished book offers deeper insights, delivers a clearer message, and stands on a more substantial foundation than I could ever have achieved with my 2017 plans. Perhaps the most valuable lesson in this journey is that sometimes, research must take the long road to reach its full potential.

Elizabeth Bridgen is Head of Academic Improvement (Partner Provision) at Buckinghamshire New University, UK.  Her research explores the lived experience of public practitioners with a focus on those who are often excluded from mainstream scholarship. She is co-editor with Sarah Williams of Women’s Work in Public Relations (2024), to which she also contributed a chapter ‘Just like any other: Public Relations Careers in the Adult Industries’ and co-author with Ileana Zeler of Race, Diversity and Social Mobility in the Public Relations Industry (2025).  She is also co-editor with Dejan Verčič of Experiencing Public Relations: International Voices and recently contributed chapters to the books Towards a New Understanding of Masculine Habitus: Women in Leadership in Public Relations (Topic, 2023), Gender and Freelancing in the Communication Industries: Experiences, practices, discourses (Anton and Moise, 2025) and Effects of Education Communication in Digital Learning Environments (Duarte, Andrade and Dias, 2025).

She has published in academic journals including Journal of Communication Management, Porn Studies, PRism, and Journal of Media Practice and Education.