Code of Professional Behaviour

Individual members of the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS) are bound by the Code of Professional Behaviour, which covers both the ethical requirements and standard conditions of conducting and reporting market and social research.

The purpose of market and social research is to collect and analyse information, not to directly sell or promote goods or services, influence respondents’ opinions or engage in non-research activities. It is in this spirit that the Code of Professional Behaviour has been developed.

This Code sets out the basic principles that must guide the actions of those who carry out or use market and social research. Individuals and organisations that subscribe to it must follow not just the letter but also the spirit of these rules. The Code of Professional Behaviour outlines ethical obligations and rules under the three key areas:

• Responsibilities to respondents
• Researchers’ professional responsibilities
• Researchers’ and client's mutual rights and responsibilities

A copy of the Code of Professional Behaviour is available at www.amsrs.com.au

A great guide to the practical challenges of applying the Code is the Ethical? e-book which is also available for AMSRS members. This can be provided on CD or as a PDF document.

Market and Social Research Privacy Principals

AMSRO members subscribe to Market and Social Research (M&SR) Privacy Code. The Market and Social Research Privacy Principals (M&SRPPs) in this Code replace the National Privacy Principals (NPPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth). The M&SRPPs give clarity to market and social research practice.

The M&SRPPs were approved by the Privacy Commissioner in 2003, and again in 2007, upon Review. This approval indicates that the Privacy Commissioner is satisfied that the obligations in the M&SRPPs are at least the overall equivalent of those set out in the National Privacy Principals in the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth).

The aims of the Code are:

• To facilitate the protection of identified information provided by, or held in relation to, the participants or subjects of market and social research;
• TO enable quality research to be carried out, so as to provide accurate information to government, commercial and not for profit organisations to support their decision-making processes;
• To allow market and social research small business operators that are otherwise not subject to the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth) to benefit from compliance with industry best practice in relation to the handling of identified data.