Market Research Quality Standards Advisory Board (MRQSAB)

The Market Research Quality Standards Advisory Board (MRQSAB) is an all-industry body which brings together a number of trade and professional bodies, under the umbrella of MRS.

The Advisory Board replaces the Market Research Quality Standards Association – MRQSA – which closed as a separate association at the end of March 2012. The changeover from MRQSA to MRQSAB has not led to any changes in the Board membership. MRQSAB continues to be a cross-sector body that reflects the views of the entire industry.

Board Members

Catherine Bolton
Xavier Fonder
Alison Gallagher (Deputy Chair) 
Debrah Harding (Chair)
Piera Johnson
Dr Zsolt Kiss
Dinesh Krithivasa
Chris Smith
Penny Steele
James (JT) Turner

MRQSAB's role is to develop and maintain minimum standards for market, social and opinion research, data collection and data processing. The current standards are BS ISO 20252:2019 Market, Opinion and Social Research including insights and data analytics – Vocabulary and Service Requirements and ISO 19731: 2017 Digital Analytics and Web Analyses For Purposes of Market, Opinion and Social Research –Vocabulary and Service Requirements. 

In 2015 it was agreed within the ISO Technical Committee that a wide-scale update of the ISO 20252 standard was required to address the following:

• Integrate the mandatory requirements from ISO 26362: 2009, Access Panels in Market, Opinion and Social Research – Vocabulary and Service Requirements and the new mandatory requirements from ISO 19731: 2017, Digital Analytics and Web Analyses for Purposes of Market, Opinion and Social research – Vocabulary and Service Requirements
• Restructure the core requirements of the standard and differentiate the core requirements from the methodology specific requirements
• Remove duplication where it exists
• Create Annexes for specific methodologies
• Add requirements for new and emerging issues such as data analytics, automation and so on
• Clarify that organisations’ undertake certification to relevant Annexes which are appropriate to business activities

The above updates have now been completed and the new standard has been issued. A presentation deck giving more detail about the changes is available here.

MRS has produced a Guide for Research Suppliers to prepare for ISO 20252: 2019 Certification – 23 Steps to Certification which is free to MRS Company Partners.

MRS Members and MRS Company Partners must adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and associated regulations and guidelines. Although the ISO 20252: 2019 standard is not mandatory for MRS Members and Company Partners, MRS supports the standard, and this guidance has been created to enable research suppliers to meet the requirements of the revised 2019 standard and to assist non-certified companies to achieve ISO 20252: 2019 certification. The Guide can be accessed here.

Non-Members can order a copy of the guide – priced £299 + VAT via samantha.driscoll@mrs.org.uk

MRQSAB can be contacted via MRS: Debrah.harding@mrs.org.uk.

Please see our FAQs section for any queries about BS ISO 20252, BS ISO 26362 and ISO 19731:2017 or send an email to Codeline codeline@mrs.org.uk.

ISO standards are published in the UK by BSI (the UK’s National Standards Body).

Ordering copies

MRS has arranged for members to receive a 25% discount on copies of BS ISO 20252 or BS ISO 26362. To order please contact publications@mrs.org.uk or tel: 020 7566 1853.  

Click here to see a list of organisations certified to ISO 20252 as at July 2023