ISO 20252:2019 is an international standard that provides guidance on the management of market, opinion and social research, including insights and data analytics. We were first awarded our ISO 20252 certification in 2008, and we have maintained this certification since.
What is ISO 20252?
ISO 20252 covers:
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Research process management
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Management of executive elements of research
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Information Security
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Project Management
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Subcontracting
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Internal Audit
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Sampling
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Data collection/fieldwork, including the recruitment, training, verification of work, and appraisal of interviewers
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Physical observation
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Digital observation
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Self Completion
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Data Management and Processing
The scope of our certification
The scope of our ISO 20252 certification is defined in our Statement of Applicability (SOA), which is derived from the ISO 20252:2019 standard for market, opinion, and social research.
Our three main areas of expertise are client feedback services, research services and CustomServe technology.
We deliver client feedback and research services to professional service and commercial organisations, government bodies and other organisations in the UK, Europe, North America and internationally.
Independent Assessment
As part of our ISO 2052 certification, we undergo an annual in-depth independent assessment, conducted by MQA (Marketing Quality Assurance). Our most recent assessment visit was in February 2023.
What are the differences between ISO 9001, ISO 20252 and ISO 27001
ISO 9001 is a quality system that ensures that clients receive a great service, and that our service and products are continually improved. We define the internal quality systems and ensure that we deliver to them for the 2 certified scopes (research and software development/hosting of services). ISO 9001 takes a risk assessment and mitigation approach to managing quality.
ISO 20252, by contrast to ISO 9001, is a ‘best of class’ prescriptive standard that defines standard ways and standards dependent upon the appropriate research methodology. For example, when undertaking telephone interviews the standard defines the minimum number of interviews that have to be validated per interviewer and the methods of assuring the quality of their work.
ISO 27001 is an information security standard that uses a risk assessment and mitigation approach in the same manner as ISO 9001. An information security management system (ISMS) is set up within which 114 controls (listed in ISO 27002) are established to cover areas of risk, including; staff recruitment, access control, network, cryptography, physical security, supply chain management, compliance and incident management.
Market Research Society
Acuigen is a company member of the Market Research Society (MRS). The MRS’ Code of Conduct and rules guide us on the ethics and practicalities of our work, and in particular provide guidance on the interpretation of data protection and privacy in the context of research.
UKAS Accreditation
MQA’s ISO certification process is accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) – the national accreditation body for the United Kingdom, appointed by the UK government, to assess organisations that provide certification. UKAS is a signatory to international accreditation agreements which provide for mutual recognition.