While countless white papers, case studies, surveys, and evaluations have been produced to answer communications questions related to emergency messaging and public information, there is no single, established venue for Public Affairs Officers, communication researchers and social scientists to come together and create the synergy needed to bridge the gaps between public affairs practice, communication research and social science.
In the fast-paced and ever-evolving Public Affairs arena, traditional data collection and statistical analysis are not enough. To meet demanding and complex communication needs, Public Affairs Officers and Public Information Officers should use socio-behavioral analysis, preparedness doctrine analysis, and employ protective action decision-making practice to make the best real-world public affairs decisions to make the best real-world public affairs decisions.
History, socioeconomics, culture, bias, literacy and many other factors matter in communication.
- Why do people continue to drive through flood waters after repeated warnings?
- Why don’t they evacuate when advised to do so?
- Why don’t people assemble a 72-hour preparedness kit?
While countless white papers, case studies, surveys, and evaluations have been produced to answer these questions, there is no single, established venue for scientists and practitioners to come together to tackle these issues. A more holistic approach involving an array of data-collection techniques is needed:
- Surveys, quantitative studies, qualitative studies, data analysis, data sharing, and case studies
- Real-time data from our Virtual Analytic Cell (VAC) or “boots on the ground” during active crises and large-scale events (e.g., natural disasters and intelligent adversary disasters, mass casualty incidents, active shooter incidents, terrorist incidents, major entertainment events, political conventions, and major sporting events)
- Geographic information system (GIS) resources
- Social and news media
- Agent-Based Modeling
- Anticipatory Forecasting
- Behavioral Economic Analysis
- Computational Social Science
- Innovative Technology
