Overview
The UK was the first country to have a national standard for market research (BS 7911). However, Market research is a global industry and users of research need the reassurance that work, in different countries, is carried out to common minimum standards. A need was identified to take the process further and develop an international standard so that common minimum standards are set across countries and the various national standards become homogenised.
ISO 20252:2006 market, opinion, social research, vocabulary and service requirements is the new international standard, published by British Standards, so that common minimum standards can be set across countries in order to facilitate business development and growth between different national and regional markets. ISO 20252:2006 supersedes BS 7911:2003 (the MRQSA* national standard) which will be withdrawn in 2008.
This standard sets a common level of quality for market research globally as well as unites and supersedes existing national standards and sets a common level of quality for market research globally. It will enable providers of services operating worldwide to work to a common quality standard and one that is recognised in all markets.
Benefits of ISO 20252
The UK was the first country to have a national standard for market research (BS 7911). However, Market research is a global industry and users of research need the reassurance that work, in different countries, is carried out to common minimum standards. A need was identified to take the process further and develop an international standard so that common minimum standards are set across countries and the various national standards become homogenised.
ISO 20252:2006 market, opinion, social research, vocabulary and service requirements is the new international standard, published by British Standards, so that common minimum standards can be set across countries in order to facilitate business development and growth between different national and regional markets. ISO 20252:2006 supersedes BS 7911:2003 (the MRQSA* national standard) which will be withdrawn in 2008.
This standard sets a common level of quality for market research globally as well as unites and supersedes existing national standards and sets a common level of quality for market research globally. It will enable providers of services operating worldwide to work to a common quality standard and one that is recognised in all markets.
Benefits of ISO 20252
- Establishes the terms and definitions as well as the service requirements for organizations and professionals conducting market opinion and social research, especially when operating on an international scale
- Overcoming and Regulating barriers to trade by demonstrating that local requirements have been met
- Facilitating business development and growth between different national and regional markets by working to a common quality standard and one that is recognised in all markets
- Maximizing revenue by gaining worldwide market access
- Improving efficiency and risk management by streamlining business processes and eliminating waste
- Inspiring client confidence by demonstrating quality and reliability of service and building brand reputation
- Compliance with regulations and professional codes (such as MRS Code of Conduct) in a cost-effective manner
- Ensuring research is carried out in full accordance with the Data Protection Act
Contents of ISO 20252:2006
- Quality management system requirements
- Competence and training
- Organization and responsibilities
- Self-completion data collection
- Confidentiality of research
- Data collection from secondary sources
- Subcontracting/outsourcing
- Data collection records
- Reviewing the effectiveness of the quality management system
- Data management and processing
- Managing the executive elements of research
- Electronic data entry
- Responding to research requests
- Hard copy data entry
- Accuracy of databases not requiring data entry
- Project schedule
- Assistance by and cooperation with clients
- Coding
- Questionnaires and discussion guides
- Data editing
- Managing sampling and data processing
- Data file management
- Monitoring the execution of research
- Data analysis
- Research documents, materials and products
- Electronic data delivery
- Reporting of research results
- Back up, retention and security of data
- Research records
- Documentation requirements
- Data collection
- Qualitative data collection
- Management, recruitment and training of fieldworkers
- Report on research projects
- Conducting data collection by fieldwork.
- Quantitative research
- Fieldworker validation (excluding qualitative research)
- Qualitative research
ISO 20252 vS BS 7911
Key changes have been made to bring this standard up to date. Some of the new material included covers:
- Explicit identification of potential problems in sampling and responses
- Procedure for self-completion of questionnaires
- Requirements where automatic coding is used
- Error rates for automatic coding
- Additional information that is to be included in stand-alone tables and delivered to client
- Measuring customer/client satisfaction with the agency’s service
- How to handle the methodological details
- Issues relating to short-fall of achieved sample and the reliability of findings
- Qualitative research requirements
Useful Links for More Detail Info
- http://www.bsi-global.com/en/Assessment-and-certification-services/management-systems/Standards-and-Schemes/ISO-20252/
- http://www.bsi-global.com/en/Shop/Publication-Detail/?pid=000000000030116605
