The Australian Market and Social Research Society Limited (AMSRS) is a professional membership body which represents approximately 2,100 market research professionals who are committed to strengthening the standards and awareness of both market and social research in Australia. The Society's primary aims are to improve professional standards and ethics in the fields of marketing and social research and to assist members in career development.
Contents
- Corporate status
- Brief history
- Membership
- Code of professional behaviour
- Industry standards
- Other roles activities and services
- Affiliations
- References
The AMSRS works closely with the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO). The AMSRS is the peak representative body for individual market and social research professionals while the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) is the peak representative body for market and social research organisations in Australia. Together, the two peak societies represent the Australian industry and work to promote understanding of market and social research, help set and maintain the highest ethical and technical standards as well as representing the industry’s regulatory and legislative interests.
Corporate status
The Australian Market and Social Research Society Ltd is a limited by guarantee, unlisted public, non-profit, Australian public company. It was registered on 22 January 1985 and was issued with the Australian Company Number (ACN) 002882635. Its Australian Business Number (ABN) is 19002882635. The company currently has its headquarters in Glebe, New South Wales. In popular usage, it is known simply as the Australian Market and Social Research Society or AMSRS.
Brief history
The Australian market research industry first began to gather momentum in the 1930s. The first Australian commercial service providers were founded the late 1930s and early 1940s. Early industry pioneers were Sylvia Ashby who founded Ashby Research Services in 1936; Roy Morgan who became the Managing Director of Australian Public Opinion Polls in 1941; George Anderson who founded Analysis of Broadcasting in 1944 and Bill McNair who founded McNair Survey Pty Ltd in 1944. In the post-war economic boom conditions, demand for research services grew, and Australia became an attractive proposition for international market research companies who began establishing branches in Australia. For instance, A C Nielsen opened an Australian office in 1948.
The Market Research Society of Victoria was founded in August 1955, followed by a New South Wales division in 1959. A Federal Council was formed to coordinate the activities of the two states and the Society's name was changed to the Market Research Society of Australia (MRSA) to reflect its broader geographic coverage. Branches were formed in other Australian states; including South Australia (1960), Western Australia (1969) and Queensland (1975). The first Code of Professional Behaviour was adopted in 1963. The society changed its name from the Market Research Society of Australia (MRSA) to the Australian Social and Market Research Society (AMSRS) in 2004.
Membership
The Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS) has 2,100 individual professional researchers as members. Its partner organisation, the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) which represents market and social research organisations, has 90 member organisations, accounting for approximately 75 per cent of the industry's employment. The market research industry turns over approximately $750 million annually and employs more than 10,000 equivalent full-time personnel (EFTs) in Australia, including 4,100 full-time professionals. In 2016, the AMSRS and AMSRO commenced negotiations to merge the two organisations, allowing the industry to speak with a 'single voice'.
Code of professional behaviour
AMSRS members are bound to observe the Society's Code of Professional Behaviour, which provides an ethical framework for conducting and reporting market and social research. In Australia, the market and social research industry operates under a co-regulatory system in which the peak industry body or bodies, such as ASMRS and AMSRO, develop codes of behaviour that are subsequently approved by government and, when ratified, become binding on all members. The AMSRS code of professional behaviour is designed to ensure that strict standards of ethical and professional conduct are upheld. Both the AMSRO and AMSRS are empowered to investigate complaints, relating to breaches of the code, and can apply sanctions.
Members of AMSRS are bound by the following codes:
In relation to the Australian Privacy (Market and Social Research) Code, 2014, the Australian Government commented that the AMSRS/AMSRO code is stricter than the government's own privacy laws.
Industry standards
The AMSRS has been instrumental in developing internationally recognised standards for conducting and reporting market and social research. For example, the Quality Standard for On-line Access Panels (QSOAP) was an initiative of both the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO) and the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS) and is now recognised as world’s best practice quality standard for online research.
The AS ISO standard 20252, was published worldwide in 2006 as the model for market, opinion and social research in the market research industry. The standard was published in Australia in 2007 and AS ISO 20252 has been adopted by AMSRS as the Australian Standard for Market and Social Marketing Research.
The society works closely with the Market Research Quality Assurance Council and the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO).
Other roles, activities and services
The AMSRS:
Affiliations
AMSRS is represented on the market and social research committee of the International Organization for Standardization ISO responsible for setting global industry standards.
The Australian Market and Social Research Society is affiliated with international marketing research societies in England, New Zealand, Japan, The Philippines and France. AMSRS is an active member of the International Marketing Federation and European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).