MRS Reinforces Parental Consent Ruling

In the UK, the Market Research Society (MRS) is inviting feedback on its revised Code of Conduct, which includes requirement for parental consent for interviews with children under 16 and the banning of the use of client products as incentives.

The draft maintains the current format of the Code but proposes several amendments and the addition of new rules relating to a researcher's obligation to take care when conducting research on sensitive subjects or with vulnerable groups.

'The research sector is in a permanent state of development, as methodologies evolve and new opportunities and challenges arise,' said Geoff Gosling, Chair of the Market Research Standards Board (MRSB). 'These proposed revisions to the Code reflect the need to keep pace with these changes, ensuring that practitioners, users and participants within research are well protected and that the research is conducted to the highest standards. We welcome input from those across the sector.'

Anyone with specific questions and comments about the revisions is invited to attend the MRS open forum to be held at the Society's offices in London on 19 March.

Registration for the event, or responses, should be made via codeofconduct@mrs.org.uk before the consultation closes on 17 April 2009.

Web site: www.mrs.org.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.