How the world’s leading authority on quality protects our industry’s best practices, even as they evolve
By Juliana Wood, Managing Director, CIRQ and Alisa Weinstein, VP, Marketing, Full Circle Research.
The parameters in which we conduct market research and insights work are constantly changing. This report alone highlights the great shifts we expect to see in the next 12 months. Yet the desire to develop highly-productive environments and deliver the highest-quality output never wavers.
There are many familiar with International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a worldwide federation that sets global standards for trusted goods and services. These standards define benchmarks for businesses to ensure reliability, build consistency and shape quality, while simplifying choices for consumers. Organizations that earn certification prove their commitment and capability to comply, thereby increasing consumer trust in their offerings.
In 1998, the British Standards Institution (BSI) published one of the first standards specifying minimum service levels for quality assurance, executive responsibilities, data collection and data processing in market research projects. BSI used ISO 9000, the world’s most widely used quality management system standard, as its framework.
Much has changed in the decades since. The timeline below highlights the evolution to our industry’s current iteration, ISO 20252:2019 Market, opinion and social research, including insights and data analytics. What the timeline doesn’t answer is how an international mark of quality anticipates our needs – and stays one step ahead.
How the revisions get made
ISO membership is comprised of national standards bodies, each maintaining and approving multiple technical committees (TCs) – ISO approves and publishes the standards; the TCs draft, manage and maintain the standards. Every member body that is interested in a subject has the right to be represented on that standard’s TC.
When a standard is up for review, or a member body feels a change should be addressed, a working group (WG) is formed. This will be the case in 2024, when ISO 20252:2019 is slated for its five-year review. A WG of highly-vetted SMEs will examine the current requirements of the standard to ensure its relevancy and applicability to all business within the market research project life cycle, as well as recommend changes that reflect new or emerging methodologies.
What the revisions may be
While revisions under consideration have not yet been cemented, data quality is always a priority; three other concepts stand out.
AI
Any inclusion of best practices regarding AI will take shape under a task group on new technologies, with experts from Austria, Canada, Japan, Spain, U.K. and the U.S. as members. “While reliable, tested and relevant AI-based solutions are likely a few years away, it’s the right time for the TC to start the conversation with experts, develop guidelines and address AI best practices,” says Sanjeev Dixit, VP, Reason Research, which has been certified to ISO 20252 since 2014. “Ethical use of AI applications is of utmost importance to us; we look up to ISO to take the lead in this area by formulating industry norms and guidelines.”
Algorithms
This September, the Dutch delegation presented a concept algorithm standard. Their case included software pitfalls, definitions and applications for the responsible use of algorithms in insights. “As learning models and algorithms become more prevalent, it’s even more crucial to identify how your company's data is utilized within a platform, as well as potential points of leakage,” said Chris Foley, director, data operations at MedSurvey, currently in the process of certifying to ISO 20252. “It’s encouraging to know that vetted experts are looking into algorithm-specific guidelines to help businesses understand how their information is used, stored and secured, as well as if it is worth the inherent risk of using that platform or service.”
Continuity
The WG will ensure the continued relevance of the requirements within the standard’s mandatory framework and six annexes, including Annex D (digital observation). “We leverage ISO 20252’s adaptability to protect our resources and product from unforeseen changes in the current climate, everything from the invention of survey farms to a worldwide pandemic,” said Olivia Trujillo, ISO quality manager at Full Circle Research, which has been certified to ISO since 2014. “Conformity to the standard elevates our strategic decision-making. We move forward with a built-in layer of confidence in the consistency of our company’s products and services – no matter what the industry throws at us next.”
Thinking about certification?
ISO 20252:2019 enables a level of industry due diligence that is measured, monitored and independently audited for compliance. The many benefits of certifying to the standard can be further explored at cirq.org and
cirq.org/qualityforall.
Certification Institute for Research Quality (CIRQ) is the only certification body accredited by ANSI National Accreditation Board to offer audit and certification services for ISO 20252:2019. “It's crucial to approach technological shifts with caution and responsibility,” said Travis Santa, VP at Touchstone Research and CIRQ board president. “CIRQ is well positioned to help new and current certification clients navigate the updates that will ultimately improve the services they provide.”
Learn how the global market research standard can benefit your organization specifically. Contact Juliana Wood, CIRQ managing director at juliana.wood@cirq.org or 202-370-6318 today.
