Qualitative research
Some key points
- Respondents must be told at the recruitment stage if recording is to take place for market and social research purposes.
- Restrictions on the use of primary data must be made known to the client at the start of the project.
- Recorded data can only be transferred to clients with the consent of the respondents.
- If recording is taking place in public, signs need to be placed stating who is recording, the purpose of the recording and who to contact with a query.
- No recording of a 'private' place can be made without the owner's permission.
Find out more
Qualitative
Research Guidelines (PDF 220KB, PDF Help)
See also:
Recruitment
It has come to the attention of the MRS Market Research Standards Board (MRSB) that there are a number of recruiters who are charging respondents a fee for joining their databases for qualitative group research projects.
While none of the alleged incidents have involved MRS members, MRSB would like to point out that such practices bring discredit to the profession and are contrary to the MRS Code of Conduct. MRSB is also of the opinion that fee charging databases contribute to the problem of “professional” respondents who provide false information to researchers in order to obtain incentives.
MRS members are advised to take all reasonable steps to ensure that they do not use recruiters who recruit in this way, nor any resulting personal data.
Frequently asked questions: recruitment
 I've
been asked to recruit people who read a particular magazine for a specific
assignment. The recruitment questionnaire also screens for readership
of other magazines and this might be very useful for future projects.
Regardless of whether respondents meet the criteria for this job, can
I keep their details for future use? What do I have tell or ask them
in order to do so?
 The recruiter
would have to ask at the first point of contact whether they could
keep the respondents' information on file and contact them again.
They would also have to stipulate how the information was to be used
(ie for market research purposes). The recruiter would become a data controller of such data and as such must notify their database with the information commissioner. It should also be noted that
the recruiter may be in breach of contract with the client if they
keep data from one project and use it for other projects.
See: The Data Protection Act 1998 and Market
Research: Guidance for MRS Members: 4.1 and 4.2
My
client has supplied me with a list from which to recruit groups of customers
but doesn't want to be identified. Some respondents are demanding to
know where I got their names. What should I tell them?
The
Data Protection Act 1998 stipulates that individuals have the right
to know who holds data on them and expects the source of the list
data to be revealed
and the data controller’s identity (ie the source of the data) must be revealed . This right overrides the client's right to anonymity
as defined in B6 of the Code. Therefore, if respondents ask, they
have a right to know, as additionally provided for in B7 of the Code. If there are concerns regarding how this information
may affect responses you can tell the respondents that the source of the
data will be revealed at the end of the interview rather than the beginning.
See: The Data Protection Act 1998 and Market
Research: Guidance for MRS Members: 4.1 and 4.2
See: MRS Code of Conduct: Rules B6 and B7
I'm
recruiting respondents from a client-supplied list of benefit claimants.
Some of the details on the list turn out to be inaccurate or false and
the client is insisting on being notified of which entries are incorrect.
I'm unhappy about this. What should I do?
Information
about incorrect addresses and deaths can be passed back but the correct
addresses can only be supplied with the express permission of the
respondent. In future it may be worthwhile for social researchers
to include in their contracts a clause to the effect that they will
not pass back any information on individuals or the lists. Equally
the 4th principle of the Data Protection Act 1998 stipulates that
personal data should be accurate and up to date. Therefore if a large
number of inaccuracies are found the client should conduct a data
cleansing exercise.
See: The Data Protection Act 1998 and Market
Research: Guidance for MRS Members: category 2
Observation
My
clients can view groups remotely via the Internet through a secure password
protected channel. The client could potentially view the laptop anywhere
and therefore someone else could see the group. What should be done
to ensure that respondent confidentiality is protected?
Firstly
the respondent must be informed and must agree to the group being
viewed in this way. Secondly your contract with the client who is
to observe must stipulate that all viewing is conducted in a manner
which could ensure that no-one outside the project team would have
sight of the group.
See: MRS Code of Conduct: Rules B34 to B42 and B49
A
client would like to observe an employee group discussion. Must his
identity be disclosed to other group participants or can it be disguised
in any way?
If
management or staff attend an employee group discussion, they must
be fully introduced to the group before it begins and respondents given a chance to withdraw.
See: MRS Code of Conduct: Rule B40
Can
key-hole cameras or other clandestine observation methods be used in
market research?
Clandestine recording methods can only be used for 'own-organisation' mystery shopping where the staff have been informed (via staff contracts, handbooks etc) that recording and monitoring of this type may take place. The only other situation where clandestine methods can be used is where a regulator is reviewing adherence to codes or legislation eg FSA mystery shopping mortgage providers, and those monitored were informed that this type of monitoring may take place.
See: MRS Code of Conduct: Rules B43 to B46
See also Frequently asked questions: reporting
of research results
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