Abstract:
ESOMAR and WAPOR recognise there are particular issues in the collection and reporting of opinion poll and survey information and have therefore issued this guideline as part of the self-regulatory framework that applies to international research. It highlights the responsibilities of researchers to conduct opinion polls in a professional and ethical way, and report them with sufficient transparency so that the public can judge the quality of results. Both will help ensure public confidence in opinion polls and published surveys. This Guideline: - Sets out the ethical rules that opinion researchers must follow; - Underlines the rights and safeguards to which participants are entitled; - Highlights the key information to be made available to maintain transparency when results are published; - Specifies standards to guide the agreements to be in place with those who commission polls to ensure published survey results are presented in an unbiased way; - Highlights the core methodological principles that apply in the design and conduct of such research; - Underlines some of the additional issues that arise with specific forms of opinion polls.