++ Market Research, which includes Social and Opinion Research, is the systematic gathering and interpretation of information about individuals or organizations using the statistical and analytical methods and techniques of the applied social sciences to gain insight or support decision-making.
++ The identity of respondents will not be revealed to the user of the information without explicit consent, and no sales approach will be made to them as a direct result of their having provided information.
++ Client is defined as any individual or organization that requests, commissions or subscribes to all or any part of a Market Research Project.
++ Respondent is defined as any individual or organization from which information is collected for the purposes of a Market Research Project, whether they are aware of it or not, or is approached for interview.
++ Interview is defined as any form of contact with a respondent in order to collect information for Market Research purposes.
++ Market Research conducted by PDMRG is legal, honest, truthful and objective and be carried out in accordance with appropriate scientific principles.
++ Market Research conducted by PDMRG is conducted with professional responsibility and conform to the principles of fair competition, as generally accepted in business.
++ Market Research shall be clearly distinguished and separated from non-research activities including any commercial activity directed at individual respondents (e.g. advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, direct selling etc.).
++ Honesty
Market Research conducted by PDMRG shall not abuse the trust of respondents or exploit their lack of experience or knowledge.
++ Professional responsibility
Respondents’ co-operation in a Market Research Project is entirely voluntary at all stages. They shall not be misled when being asked for their co-operation. All our researchers take all reasonable precautions to ensure that respondents are in no way harmed or adversely affected as a direct result of their participation in a Market Research Project. All our researchers do not unjustifiably criticize other researchers.
++ Transparency
All our researchers promptly identify themselves and unambiguously state the purpose of the research. All respondents are being able to check the identity and ‘bona fides’ of PDMRG without difficulty. PDMRG provides all clients with appropriate technical details of any research project carried out for the clients. PDMRG ensures that Market Research Projects are designed, carried out, reported and documented accurately, transparently and objectively.
++ Ownership
Market Research proposals and cost quotations are the property of PDMRG unless otherwise agreed.
++ Recording and observation techniques
All respondents are informed before observation techniques or recording equipment are used for research purposes, except where these are openly used in a public place and no personal data is collected. If respondents so wish, the record or relevant section of it will be destroyed or deleted. In the absence of explicit consent, respondents’ personal identity is protected.
++ Data protection and privacy policy
PDMRG has got privacy policies that are readily accessible to respondents from whom we are collecting data.
++ Collection of data
When collecting personal information from respondents, PDMRG ensures that:
respondents are aware of the purpose of the collection respondents are aware of any quality control activity involving re-contact by PDMRG.
++ Use of data
Personal information collected and held in accordance with this code is:
collected for specified research purposes and not used in any manner incompatible with these purposes adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose of the Research for which they are collected and/or further processed preserved no longer than is required for the purpose for which the information was collected or further processed.
++ PDMRG ensures that respondents’ personal identity is withheld from the client.
PDMRG may communicate the respondent’s identifiable personal information to the client, unless national provisions require stricter regulations, under the following conditions:
++ the respondent has explicitly expressed this wish
++ the respondent has given their explicit consent and on the understanding that no commercial activity will be directed at them as a direct result of their having provided information
++ Security of processing
PDMRG ensures that adequate security measures are employed in order to prevent unauthorized access, manipulation to or disclosure of the personal data.
If personal data are transferred to third parties, it shall be established that they employ at least an equivalent level of security measures.
++ Rights of the respondent
Appropriate measures shall be taken to ensure that respondents understand and can exercise their rights
not to participate in a Market Research project to withdraw from the Market Research interview at any time to require that their personal data are not made available to others to delete or to rectify incorrect personal data which are held on them.
++ Transborder transactions
Particular is taken by PDMRG to maintain the data protection rights of individuals when personal data are transferred from the country in which they are collected to another country.
When data processing is conducted in another country, all reasonable steps are taken to ensure that adequate security measures are observed and that the data protection principles of this code are respected.
++ Children and young people
PDMRG takes special care when interviewing children and young people.
The consent of the parent or responsible adult is obtained before interviewing children.
++ Shared interviews
PDMRG informs clients if the work to be carried out for them is to be combined or syndicated in the same project with work for other clients, without disclosing the identity of such clients without their permission.
++Subcontracting
PDMRG informs clients, prior to work commencing, when any part of the work for them is to be subcontracted outside the researchers’ own organization.
++ Publishing findings
When reporting on the results of a market research project, PDMRG makes a clear distinction between the findings, PDMRG’s interpretation of these findings, and any recommendations based on them.
Where any of the findings of a Research Project are published by the client, the latter shall be asked to consult with PDMRG as to the form and content of publication of the findings. Both the client and PDMRG have a responsibility to ensure that published results are not misleading.
PDMRG is always prepared to make available the technical information necessary to assess the validity of any published findings.
PDMRG does not allow their name to be associated with the dissemination of conclusions from a Market Research project unless they are adequately supported by the data.
++ Responsibility
PDMRG ensures that research is carried out in accordance with this code, and for ensuring that clients and other parties to the research agree to comply with its requirements.
++ Guidelines
PDMRG adheres to the guidelines of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), ESOMAR (European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research), European Survey Research Association (ESRA), European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association (EPHMRA), Insights Association, and World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR).
PDMRG is your One-Stop Shop Partner for Innovative Research & Fieldwork Worldwide!