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Abstract The evaluation and measurement of public relations have been a lasting topic for academics since the 1970s. Over the course of time, much has been written upon the topic, but no standardized analysis of the large body of academic literature has been conducted. This study employs a systematic approach to explore the current state of knowledge through journal analysis of public relations evaluation and measurement research. A total of 324 journal articles, published from 1975 to 2015 in 12 selected journals from the field of public relations and communication management, have been systematically reviewed. The review examines what has been researched in the past, how the research is interrelated, and what still needs to be investigated in the future. This paper reports on the major topical, theoretical, and methodological trends over time, and derives a research agenda, concerning above all the need for a holistic theory of value creating communication and more sophisticated measurement approaches.
