Officers

President:                  Jeremy Bullmore CBE

Vice President:         Eamonn Santry

Chairman:                  Simon Lidington

Honorary Secretary Treasurer: Raz Khan

Council Members:    Crispin Beale

                                    Nikki Bell

                                    Dr Susan Blackall

                                    Ian Brace

                                    Louise Edwards

                                    Geoff Gosling

                                    Tony Keen

                                    Carole Lehman

                                    Rowland Lloyd

                                    Susan Rogers

                                    Leslie Sopp

                                    Professor Alan Wilson

History, Aims and Objectives

MRS was formed in 1946 and has had a self-regulatory Code of Conduct since 1954.

With members in more than 70 countries, MRS is the world’s largest association representing providers and users of market, social, and opinion research, and business intelligence.

MRS serves both individuals and organisations who identify with its core values of professionalism, excellence, and effectiveness.

It has a diverse membership of individual researchers within agencies, independent consultancies, client-side organisations, the public sector and the academic community – at all levels of seniority and in all job functions.

MRS Company Partners include agencies, suppliers, and buyers of all types and sizes who are committed throughout their organisations to supporting the core MRS values.

MRS Brand Values

Professionalism: MRS is proactive in defining, developing and maintaining high standards of professional practice, supporting the work of individual researchers and organisations.

Excellence: MRS recognises and encourages excellence and innovation in research via delivery of quality products and services.

Effectiveness: MRS provides information for research suppliers and users to support the optimum mix of analysis and insight for evidence-based decision-making within organisations.

MRS Membership

MRS has 8,000 individual members.

MRS has designed its membership structure to ensure that there is a broad range of opportunities for individuals to gain membership.  Progression through the membership grades matches career experience and competency.

The main grades for practitioners are Full Member, Associate Member and Affiliate Member.  Interviewers may become Field Members.  Full details of the grading structure, criteria and benefits are provided on the MRS website (www.mrs.org.uk/membership)

MRS Company Partner Service

MRS currently has 180 Company Partners and participation is growing. 

The MRS Company Partner Service delivers cost effective support enabling organisations to develop their people and processes, and meet their commitment to research standards.  MRS Company Partners endorse and support the core MRS brand values.  By signing up to the MRS Company Partner Commitment, they commit to compliance with the MRS Code of Conduct throughout their organisation.  The focus is on professional and industry standards, self-regulation and professional development.  This Service is available to organisations of all types and sizes. 

Information about the MRS Company Partner Service is provided on the MRS website (www.mrs.org.uk/companypartner). 

Codes and Standards

The MRS Code of Conduct is at the centre of MRS activities and is binding on all MRS members and MRS Company Partners.

Accompanying the MRS Code is a series of Regulations on legislative issues such as data protection, freedom of information and the use of diallers.  As these are based on legal requirements they are also binding on MRS members and Company Partners.

Supplementary to the mandatory rules within the MRS Code is a series of best practice guidelines which provide practical guidance for researchers.  Currently there are guidelines covering questionnaire design, qualitative research, mystery customer research, employee research, internet research, free prize draws, researching children, conducting research in town centres, public opinion research and business to business research.   Copies of the MRS Code, guidelines and Regulation, together with practical advice on their application (via extensive FAQs) can be found on the MRS website (http://www.mrs.org.uk/code.htm).

The MRS Code and its associated Regulations and guidelines are supported by the MRS Disciplinary Procedure and the MRS Company Partner Complaints Procedure.

MRS is a stakeholder in the Market Research Quality Standards Association (MRQSA).  This is an all-industry body which has developed a set of quality procedures incorporating minimum quality levels for the main elements of market, social and opinion research.  Prior to 2006, the MRQSA standard was the British Standard BS 7911.  In 2006, an International Standard, ISO 20252, was introduced which MRQSA has adopted. 

Professional Development

To support professional development within research, MRS offers a ladder of qualifications, a wide portfolio of training courses and a range of accredited work-based learning schemes.

Training Courses

·         Core training programme: MRS provides more than 60 training courses each year. The MRS core training programme offers courses to address the needs of all researchers, whatever their level of experience:

·        Research skills at introductory, essentials, refining and advanced levels

·        Business skills

·        Leadership skills

·         In-company training: MRS also provides bespoke programmes, tailored to meet the needs of the individual organisation.

·         Online training: These programmes combine the expertise which informs all MRS training courses with a very flexible way of learning.  The online training courses cover business and research skills.

Qualifications

MRS offers a range of nationally-recognised qualifications:

·         MRS Diploma in Market & Social Research Practice: provides a framework for the development of higher-level skills for experienced market and social researchers.

·         MRS Advanced Certificate in Market & Social Research Practice: enables new recruits to research, or those who are taking over a research brief, to develop a wide range of essential research skills.  

·         MRS/City & Guilds Certificate in Market & Social Research: provides an introduction to the principles and tools of market and social research for non-practitioners.  

·         MRS Certificate in Interviewer Skills for Market & Social Research:  a work-based qualification for those engaged in telephone or face-to-face interviewing. This Certificate is awarded to those who successfully complete the MRS Accredited Interviewer Training Scheme (AITS).

MRS also operates a scheme to accredit postgraduate degrees in market and/or social research.  

Work-Based Learning Schemes

MRS Full Membership can be achieved via work-based learning. Three different schemes are available:

·         Professional Development Scheme (PDS): enables employees to progress through MRS qualifications whilst following their organisation’s own training programme in market and/or social research.

·         Intensive Professional Development Scheme (IPD): offers a non-examination route to MRS Full Membership.. 

·         Fast Track Scheme: designed for those who have at least seven years’ research experience at a senior level but who may not have formal qualifications in market or social research.

MRS also offers the Accredited Interviewer Training Scheme (AITS), a unique scheme designed to develop the skills of market and social research interviewers.

Full details of all MRS qualifications, training and work-based training schemes can be found on the MRS website (www.mrs.org.uk).

Conferences & Other Activities

The MRS Annual Conference takes place during March and is the flagship event for MRS and a showcase for market, social and opinion research.  This multi-disciplinary event brings together over 800 executives from both the client and supply-side.

Research Conferences take place throughout the year and offer a series of leading edge one-day conferences, seminars and workshops.

The Research Excellence and Effectiveness Awards Dinner is the annual event, organised by MRS, celebrating achievement and distinction in research. 

Publications

MRS publishes the following:

• Research magazine and its associated website Research-Live (www.research-live.com)
• MRS News
• International Journal of Market Research
• MRS Conference Proceedings
• Occupational Groupings: A Job Dictionary
• Research Buyers Guide and its associated website Research Buyer's Guide Online (www.rbg.org.uk)
• MRS Code of Conduct, associated guidelines and Regulations

Textbooks published in association with MRS include:

• Business to Business Market Research: Understanding and Measuring Business Markets, Market Research in Practice Series
• Consumer Insight: How to Use Data and Market Research to Get Closer to Your Customer, Market Research in Practice Series
• The Effective Use of Market Research: How to Drive and Focus Better Business Decisions, Market Research in Practice Series
• Employee Research: How to Increase Employee Involvement Through Consultation, Market Research in Practice Series
• Market Intelligence: How and Why Organizations Use Market Research, Market Research in Practice Series
• Market Research in Practice: A Guide to the Basics, Market Research in Practice Series
• Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research, Market Research in Practice Series
• Researching Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty: How to Find Out What People Really Think, Market Research in Practice Series
• An Introduction to Market & Social Research: Planning & Using Research Tools and Techniques
• The International Handbook of Market Research Techniques
• Marketing Research: An Integrated Approach
• The Practice of Market & Social Research: An Introduction
• Qualitative Market Research: Principle and Practice
• A Guide to the 2001 Census: Essential Information for Gaining Business Advantage, MRS Census and Geodemographics Group and the Office of National Statistics
• A User's View of the 2001 Census, MRS Census and Geodemographics Group and the Association of Census Distributors

MRS Members and MRS Company Partners List

Information about the MRS Company Partner Service and a register of Company Partner organisations is available on the MRS website (www.mrs.org.uk/companypartner). 

A list of MRS members is available via an online register (www.mrs.org.uk/member/index.htm). The Members list is restricted to MRS members.