Market Research Quality Standards Advisory Board (MRQSAB)

The Market Research Quality Standards Advisory Board (MRQSAB) is an all-industry body which brings together a number of trade and professional bodies, under the umbrella of MRS.

The Advisory Board replaces the Market Research Quality Standards Association – MRQSA – which closed as a separate association at the end of March 2012. The changeover from MRQSA to MRQSAB has not led to any changes in the Board membership. MRQSAB continues to be a cross-sector body that reflects the views of the entire industry.

Board Members

Catherine Bolton
Xavier Fonder
Alison Gallagher (Deputy Chair) 
Debrah Harding (Chair)
Ben Hogg
Dr Zsolt Kiss
Vanessa McCorquodale
Chris Smith
Penny Steele
James (JT) Turner

MRQSAB's role is to develop and maintain minimum standards for market, social and opinion research, data collection and data processing. The current standards is BS ISO 20252:2026 Market, Opinion and Social Research including insights and data analytics – Vocabulary and Service Requirements and ISO 19731: 2017 Digital Analytics and Web Analyses For Purposes of Market, Opinion and Social Research –Vocabulary and Service Requirements. 

In 2026 an updated edition of the ISO 20252 standard was published:

• The standard has been updated to reflect the increasing use of automated techniques, and AI and related technologies with requirements amended, where appropriate, for the use of such techniques.
• The inclusion of AI and related technologies has led to significant changes changed the requirements for some of the core requirements and annexes, including those relating to (e.g. translation, coding and, analysis.).
• Clause 4 has been reviewed, with the terminology and requirements aligned, where appropriate, with other International Standards, such as (e.g. ISO/IEC 27001).
• The terms and definitions included in Clause 3 have been updated.
• Annex A has been split into two annexes: sampling requirements remain in Annex A, while panel management requirements have moved into a new Annex G.
• Annex A has been modified to strengthen data quality requirements, some of which are also in Annex E and Annex G.
• Technical content has been updated to reflect new or modified research practices, with new content added across all of the annexes.

The above updates have now been completed and the new standard has been issued. A document giving more detail about the changes is available here.

MRS Members and MRS Company Partners must adhere to the MRS Code of Conduct and associated regulations and guidelines. Although the ISO 20252: 2026 standard is not mandatory for MRS Members and Company Partners, MRS supports the standard.

Non-Members can order a copy of the guide – priced £299 + VAT via samantha.driscoll@mrs.org.uk

MRQSAB can be contacted via MRS: Debrah.harding@mrs.org.uk.

Please see our FAQs section for any queries about BS ISO 20252 or send an email to Codeline codeline@mrs.org.uk. ISO standards are published in the UK by BSI (the UK’s National Standards Body).

Ordering copies

MRS has arranged for members to receive a 25% discount on copies of BS ISO 20252. To order please contact publications@mrs.org.uk or tel: 020 7566 1853.  

Click here to see a list of organisations certified to ISO 20252 as at June 2026