The ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics, which was developed jointly with the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce), sets out global standards for self-regulation for researchers and data analysts and is undersigned by all ESOMAR members.
The primary aim of these 28 Questions is to increase transparency and raise awareness of the key issues for researchers to consider when deciding whether an online sampling approach is fit for their purpose. Put another way, the aim is to help researchers to ensure that what they receive meets their expectations. The questions are also designed to introduce consistent terminology for providers to state how they maintain quality, to enable buyers to compare the services of different sample suppliers. Notes on the context of the questions explain why the questions should be asked and which issues researchers should expect to be covered in the answer.
The primary aim of these 28 Questions is to increase transparency and raise awareness of the key issues for researchers to consider when deciding whether an online sampling approach is fit for their purpose. Put another way, the aim is to help researchers to ensure that what they receive meets their expectations. The questions are also designed to introduce consistent terminology for providers to state how they maintain quality, to enable buyers to compare the services of different sample suppliers. Notes on the context of the questions explain why the questions should be asked and which issues researchers should expect to be covered in the answer.
In order to ensure there is clear agreement between the client and the research provider and that both parties adhere to the requirements of the Code, it is strongly recommended that the points discussed in this Guideline are covered in the research proposal and a separate written contract or standard terms of business. This Guideline is not, however, intended to regulate the details of the business relationships between the researcher and the client. In most cases the contract will not be between the researcher and client as individuals but between their respective organisations. The Guideline should be read in conjunction with the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market and Social Research, the Notes on How to Apply the ICC/ESOMAR International Code and other guideline documents issued by ESOMAR including the Guideline on How to Commission Research. The Guideline is also consistent with the ISO 20252 international quality standard which covers the same topics.
It would appear that the world is in the throes of another age of mass migration. Today, 190 million people live outside the country of their birth. Societies are becoming multicultural in a way that they have never been before. For marketers and researchers, the need to reach and understand the great variety of ethnicities in the developed countries of the world poses issues of considerable delicacy. It is as important to think in-culture at the design stage and to understand the role of culture in the analysis stage as it is to be familiar with the effects of question order bias or wording bias. Research in an era of ethnic diversity requires skill, knowledge and sensitivity beyond the norms of yesteryear. But without training in the basic skills of good research combined with intelligent career development, we will struggle to achieve even those results.
Australia has been one of the countries at the forefront of the development of on-line research, and the industry estimates that at 30% of quantitative research, on-line is the dominant research methodology.The Australian industry has recognised the challenges market research faces in migrating to on-line as a dominant methodology. So, Australian researchers and companies embarked on a journey to combine the most up to date collective wisdom and create an actionable standard for Australia that will self regulate the industry. It is currently known as QSOAP (Quality Standard for On-Line Access Panels).Both authors have been on the Task Force that has finalised a Standard accepted by research companies, panel providers, quality groups and clients over the past 18 months. The key goal of this group has been to develop a set of best practices that will help ensure good quality online research is undertaken in the Australian market.