From www.mrweb.com users can type in a name or part of a name, company name, or any other part of an address including tel and fax numbers, and get a list of matches from the database. Contact persons from about 300 agencies (those in the MRSpec directory) are in the database to start with, but the idea is that individuals can add whatever details they want to be available and update them any time.

MrWeb's Nick Thomas said "Not only will this be a very quick way for people to look up a number or email address for a contact, it will also help when people move company or change address.

"To work, of course, it has to have a critical mass and to be easy to find - hence putting it on the Home Page which is viewed by several hundred UK research professionals each day. On the whole, we've been successful in hitting these critical masses in the past - the vacancies site being the prime example as we are now the number one source of CVs for many advertisers - but we're also getting a good initial response to renewals in the Survey Exchange agency directory.

"The directory, which we've called MrCon, following the short 'n' silly names tradition which has served us so well to date, is also in part a response to complaints about the lack of a good published directory of research contact details over the past few years. It's very, very simple to provide - the basic setup was done in an evening and all the additional time has been spent on making it a bit more proof against misuse... We have limited the number of results to one search, to stop list-builders, and given entrants the option to hide their email address so that users fill in a form to contact them rather than seeing the address."

Please take a look at the directory, and if you are not already in it, add your details. Entries and usage are of course free of charge and will remain so. Entries can be amended or removed any time, also via links at www.mrweb.com.