Send an e-mail to finance@esomar.org stating your:

• Invoice number
• The full company name, billing address and contact person that will appear on the invoice

• The email address where the invoice is to be sent

Make sure you put "Invoice adjustment" as the subject of your e-mail. We will automatically cancel your invoice and send you a new invoice with the correct information within 2-3 working days.

You received a credit note for early payment of the renewal fee for 2011. However, only the discounted fee was paid. In other words, the credit note was given for correct accounting only. There is no amount to credit from the 2012 membership fee.

Often an invoice number or date is entered incorrectly, causing the system to reject the online payment. Please double check that all information provided, including the invoice number, date and amount have been entered correctly.

Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for new invoices to be processed in our payment database. Therefore, if your invoice is dated today, it may not be possible to complete your payment until tomorrow. Please try again, however if the problem persists contact the ESOMAR Finance Department at finance@esomar.org

You can see the expiration date of your membership when you login to MyESOMAR and download the Membership Certificate. An invoice will be sent to you by email automatically approximately 2 months prior to this date. If you have not received an email, please check your spam filter as well. You can request the invoice at finance@esomar.org.

Membership renewal information and invoices are always sent by email directly to the member. We kindly ask you to arrange payment (either directly or via your company).

If you require a hardcopy of the invoice, please contact us at finance@esomar.org or membership@esomar.org.

Please send us the PO number by email to finance@esomar.org and we will amend the invoice for you. Do not forget to reference the invoice number in your email.

Any additional terms and conditions must be agreed in writing (see our terms and conditions, paragraph 4).

Please contact the ESOMAR Finance department

Email: finance@esomar.org
Telephone: +31 20 589 7866
Fax: +31 20 589 7885

ESOMAR celebrates excellence in the area of market research with a range of internationally renowned industry awards.

• ESOMAR Excellence Award for the Best Paper 
• ESOMAR Congress Awards 
• ESOMAR Excellence Award For Standards Of Performance In Market Research 
• ESOMAR Young Researcher of the Year Award 
• ESOMAR Best Presentation Award 
• ESOMAR Research Effectiveness Award

Full details on the ESOMAR awards are available under our awards section.

There are a number of ways you can participate in the awards; submitting projects, nominating candidates or writing papers for ESOMAR global events. More information is available in the awards section of our website.

The awards are generally open to entries in the first 6 months of the year. The Excellence Award for Best Paper Award is open throughout the year. More information is available under our awards section.

We are always looking for student nominations and your support is appreciated. To nominate students, please read "How to nominate" and then click through to the nomination form. Students can only be nominated by their professors.

One of the best places to start understanding what the industry in your country has to offer is to get in touch with the relevant ESOMAR representative for your country or region. If you are doing a post graduate course ESOMAR offers a number of career events which we organise alongside academic institutions to showcase what research can offer young people.

The ESOMAR Career Network has a number of career opportunities available. Be sure to check it frequently for new career postings.

Advertisements can be placed on the ESOMAR Career Network for a small fee. All job positngs receive promotion through the ESOMAR website and member and non-members newsletters, received by more than 20,000 professionals.

Whilst the Code contains the key principles, ESOMAR's Notes to the Code provide more detailed guidance on how to interpret and apply the code in practice, for instance in relation to whether or not a respondent must be told if the researcher might wish to re-contact the respondent for a further interview at a later date.

ESOMAR has also issued guidelines on specific aspects of market, social and opinion research such as online research, social media research and research via mobile phone.

ESOMAR has disciplinary procedures to examine cases of possible breach of the ICC/ESOMAR Code and Notes by an ESOMAR member. Our complaints procedure outlines the steps to follow to pursue disciplinary action against an ESOMAR member.

You will be asked to provide evidence to substantiate your complaint which will be reviewed by ESOMAR's Professional Standards Committee. If it appears that the complaint has merit, ESOMAR's Disciplinary Committee will examine the allegations further and if it finds that an ESOMAR member has breached the ICC/ESOMAR Code, it can impose sanctions ranging from a private warning to expulsion from membership as well as publication of the name of the individual and the sanction imposed.

Researchers must be transparent in their dealings with respondents and never allow personal data they collect in a market research project to be used for any purpose other than research. There are commercial activities that may appear to be similar to market research. Howevert heir aim is to use the collected data to target marketing or sales approaches directly at the respondent.

The ESOMAR Guide on Distinguishing Market Research from other Data Ccollection Activities provides guidance on how differentiate commercial and market research actions.

For example, if the intention in conducting a survey is to pass on identifiable data to the client to be used for marketing purposes, it must not be misrepresented to respondents as market research. In this case it must follow the legal framework established for commercial activities such as direct marketing.
For more details go to the Consolidated ICC Code of Advertising and Marketing Communication Practice.

Unless national provisions require stricter regulations, a respondent's personal identifiable data can be passed on to the client only under the following conditions;

1. the respondent has explicitly expressed this wish and/or
2. the respondent has given their explicit consent and
3. on the understanding that no commercial activity will be directed at them as a direct result of their having provided information.

ESOMAR does not recommend passing this information to the client. The distinction between market research and other data collection activities would be blurred since the research is in effect a joint effort between the researcher and the client. However, should the client wish to encourage people to respond they could send a general message to everyone on the list referring to the survey and research company, noting that some people might have already responded.

The normal approach is for the researcher to contact the individuals and remind them that they are invited to complete the questionnaire.

For more detail go to the ESOMAR Guideline on Customer Satisfaction Studies.

B2B research is a difficult area. As far as we know, only Italian data protection legislation treats companies as legal individuals but Germany also has strict rules. You should always check with the associations in the relevant countries when conducting B2B research. Contact details for associations can be found on the associations section of our website

A key issue is whether the client could identify individual responses (companies and individuals) from the data, once the client has the list of which companies took part in the survey.

If there is any doubt about whether this would be possible, then the research agency should not pass on this information without the appropriate permission.

Results should be presented in an aggregated form from which individual responses cannot be identified and in this case there should not be a problem releasing the list of companies included in the survey.

For more information visit the ESOMAR Guideline on Customer Satisfaction Studies.

Some clients may wish to observe an interview or group discussion for quality control purposes or to gain a better understanding of the research findings.

If so, the researcher must first obtain the agreement of the respondents concerned and also ensure that the observers are fully aware and abide by the ICC/ESOMAR International Code. The researcher should also ensure that the observers are not people who are likely to know or have a direct dealing with the individual respondents being interviewed. If they do, they should be asked to stop observing.

More detail may be found in the ESOMAR Guideline on Passive Data Collection, Observation and Recording.

ESOMAR can provide some guidance on the rules regulating research in different countries but for details, contact the national association in the specific country. You can use the association search tool on the ESOMAR website, to find association contact details.

To avoid disputes, ESOMAR strongly recommends that there is a clear written contract or terms of business agreed by the client and the research provider and this should include terms relating to cancellation.

For more details on issues to cover in the contract go to the ESOMAR Guideline on the Mutual rights and responsibilities.

As research studies can vary so widely, ESOMAR does not provide a standard contract, but to help both clients and research providers, it has issued a checklist of points to be considered including:

• Objectives of the research.
• Technical specifications of the study.
• Cost estimates.
• Other contractual issues.

For more details go to the ESOMAR Guideline on How to commission research - Reaching an agreement on marketing research project.

In the absence of any agreement to the contrary, in the case of ad hoc surveys the normal period for primary field records (e.g. original completed questionnaires or similar basic records) should be retained for one year after completion of the fieldwork and three years for continuously reporting panels unless national law requires a shorter period.

To allow questions to be answered about how the research was conducted or about the results, including after the research project has been completed, the retention period of the following records shall be as follows, unless otherwise agreed with the client:

• primary records: 12 months
• a copy of all other final versions of documents related to the research project: 24 months

The research service provider shall inform the client about the retention periods. The research service
provider and the client can agree on a longer or shorter retention period. This agreement shall be documented. If the research is later repeated, or further research is later carried out within the same project, the storage period shall be said to begin upon conclusion of the entire research project.

For more detail go to the ESOMAR Guideline on the Mutual rights and responsibilities.

Researchers should take all reasonable steps to ensure that respondents are not harmed or adversely affected as a result of their participation in a product test. The researcher and the client should take into account the question of liability to the public in case of a complaint about of using the product and ensure that there is adequate and effective international liability insurance in place. This is particularly important if the product is unbranded, since the research agency may well find itself legally liable as the distributor of the product. While the client bears the main responsibility, the researcher also carries responsibility, for instance, for proper storage of the product or its delivery to respondents. The rules for legally controlled products like tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals are much more restrictive and need to be checked at the national level.

Additionally, if recruiting children or young people, researchers must ensure that they have suitable permission .

For more details go to the ESOMAR Guideline on the Mutual rights and responsibilities of researchers and clients and the ESOMAR Guideline on Interviewing Children and Young People.

The age definition of a child varies from country to country. For the purposes of the ICC/ESOMAR International Code, a "child" is defined as under the age of 14 years and a "young person" is defined as aged between 14 and 17 years where there is no specific national definition incorporated in a national code of practice or in national legislation.

The permission of an adult responsible for the child must be obtained before interviewing children aged under 14 years.

For more detail go to the ESOMAR Guideline on Interviewing Children and Young People.

Researchers must always take all reasonable measures to ensure verifiable and explicit permission is obtained from a parent or legal guardian when inviting a child to participate in a research survey. They must avoid asking children and young people questions on topics generally regarded as sensitive and in any case handle this with extreme care. This may mean that certain types of surveys should not be undertaken. They must also avoid collecting personal information relating to other people (for example, parents) from children.

In the online environment, researchers will need to use special procedures to secure the permission of a parent before carrying out an interview with children. As an email may not guarantee that the email address given by the child is their parent's, nor that the person replying is the parent, we recommend telephone or mail confirmation directly from the parent/guardian.

Where researchers are setting out to recruit children for repeated surveys they should consider:

• Recruiting parents with children of the required age and then managing the research process with the agreement and monitoring of the activity by the parent.
• Enabling password protection of surveys so that the entry of a password known only by the parent is required which means the parent must agree to provide it before the child can proceed in the research.

Prior parental consent will not be required to collect a child's or parent's e-mail address solely to provide notice of data collection and request consent or to collect a child's age for screening and exclusion purposes. If this screening leads to the decision that a child does qualify for interview, parental consent must then be sought to continue with the interview.

For more details, go to the Online Research Guideline and the ESOMAR Guideline on Interviewing Children and Young People.

Some people who post comments on social media sites might not mind that their remarks are collected and shared but others might take an opposite view.

The Guideline on Passive Observation to which this type of research is most akin states "The things that people are observed doing in a public place cannot be regarded as private or inaccessible to a researcher" and "There may be instances in public places where informed consent from individuals is impossible to achieve. In those cases public notice should be given about the data collection i.e. CCTV operation". This was written to guide researchers observing behaviour in physical spaces, but the same principles should apply to observation on social platforms.

The Guideline on social media research specifically refers to the Terms of Use of social media websites as a form of notification that data might be collected from their postings. But if consent has not been obtained (directly or under the ToU) researchers must ensure that they report only depersonalised data from social media sources.

For more details, go to the Social Media Research Guidelines.

If the data collected includes images of identifiable people, researchers either need consent from the poster to share these with the client, or they must apply techniques such as pixilation of faces.

They should however keep in mind that in some cases, this might not be sufficient to anonymise the images in some B2B contexts or when researching very small groups and they should then refrain from sharing the photos or videos.

For more details, go to the Guideline on Passive Data Collection Observation and Recording and the Social Media Research Guidelines.

The ICC/ESOMAR Code states that personally identifiable data collected for research purposes can only be reported in an identifiable form or passed to a client if the person has explicitly expressed this wish or given their consent on the understanding that no commercial activity will be directed at them as a direct result of their having provided information. This is reflected in the Guideline on Social Media Research.

This permission should either be obtained via the social site's Terms of Use or by direct contact with the individual concerned.

If it is impossible to get permission, the information must be filtered to remove personal identifiers (if the data collection process is automated) or masked or cloaked so that the individual cannot be identified. Particular care is needed to anonymise comments on sensitive areas.

The guideline does not prohibit researchers from collecting personal data for non-research purposes, but it requires full transparency to respondents and clients in line with the ICC/ESOMAR Code which states that data collected for research purposes must not be used in any manner incompatible with these purposes.

For more details, go to the Social Media Research Guidelines.

If it is absolutely necessary for researchers to do so, they must have the site operator's permission, it must be made clear to all users that this is happening and they must provide individuals with a process to opt out from such data collection.

Researchers must observe great sensitivity interacting with people in private spaces and if this needs to be done, they must observe the recommendations of the guidelines on consent and notification.

For more details, go to the Social Media Research Guidelines.

Researchers need to verify that individuals contacted by e-mail have a reasonable expectation that they will receive a contact for research. This means that all of the following conditions must exist:

1. A substantive pre-existing relationship exists between the individuals contacted and the research organisation, the client or the list owners providing sample for the research;
2. Individuals have a reasonable expectation, based on the pre-existing relationship, that they may be contacted for research;
3. Individuals are offered the choice to be removed from future electronic contact in each invitation in a clear and distinct way and this must be free of charge and easy to implement;
4. The invitation list excludes all indinviduals who have previously taken the appropriate and timely steps to request the list owner to remove them.

For more details, go to the Online Research Guidelines.

The most important issues to consider when doing research online are fair collection, consent when sharing information and security.

Research companies must post clear and prominent privacy policies. Researchers must disclose information about identification and tracking technologies and other software in a timely and open manner with data subjects. This communication must provide details on the types of data if any, that are being collected and stored and how the researcher uses and shares the data subject's information.

Personal information about the respondent must not be used for non-research purposes or shared with third parties without the respondent's consent. Respondents must be able to easily uninstall research software without prejudice or harm to them or their computer systems.

Panel members should receive clear, periodic notification that they are actively recorded as participants, so as to ensure that their participation is voluntary. Active panel members are usually defined as a panel member who has participated in at least one survey if requested, and has updated his/her profile data or has registered to join the access panel, within a specified and recent period.

Researchers must take steps to protect information collected from respondents. Researchers must establish safeguards that minimise the risk of data security breaches and privacy threats to the data subject and make all reasonable efforts to ensure that their software and data collection methods are safe, secure and do not cause undue privacy or data security risks.

For more details, go to the Online Research Guidelines.

Yes, the same requirements for contacting people, security and downloads apply. Researchers must also take into consideration additional issues such as how to deal with potential costs to the respondents, appropriate designs for smaller screens and how to handle location data.

For more details, go to the Online Research Guidelines.

Researchers knowingly calling or sending text messages to a mobile phone for the purpose of conducting a survey shall observe the principles of respect and disclosure that are practised in fixed-line telephone research in line with the ICC/ESOMAR Code. These include identification of the calling party, the identity of the organisation that will receive the data if the company carrying out the call is only providing data collection and not analysis, notification as to the purpose of the call/survey, the voluntary nature of participation, the guarantee of confidentiality and consideration of local expectations about appropriate times for telephone calls.

In addition, researchers must consult whether individuals have a reasonable expectation that they will receive a contact for research. If calling they must remain mindful of concerns about privacy and intrusion and politely terminate the call when it becomes apparent that the recipient is not in a position or does not wish to take the call, is not competent, or is a child (unless the researcher receives consent from an appropriate adult to proceed with the call).

Researchers must also bear in mind that calls to mobiles can involve a charge to the caller and the recipient and either design the study so that the respondent incurs no cost, and if this is not possible, be prepared to compensate respondents for their cost.

For more details, go to the Guideline on Research via Mobile Phone.

The Code is based on eight key fundamentals:

1. Market researchers shall conform to all relevant national and international laws.

2. Market researchers shall behave ethically and shall not do anything which might damage the reputation of market research.

3. Market researchers shall take special care when carrying out research among children and young people.

4. Respondents' cooperation is voluntary and must be based on adequate, and not misleading, information about the general purpose and nature of the project when their agreement to participate is being obtained and all such statements shall be honoured.

5. The rights of respondents as private individuals shall be respected by market researchers and they shall not be harmed or adversely affected as the direct result of cooperating in a market research project.

6. Market researchers shall never allow personal data they collect in a market research project to be used for any purpose other than market research.

7. Market researchers shall ensure that projects and activities are designed, carried out, reported and documented accurately, transparently and objectively.

8. Market researchers shall conform to the accepted principles of fair competition.

The ICC/ESOMAR Code contains the key principles which all members agree to uphold. It provides a frame-work for self-regulation as well as demonstrates practitioners' recognition of their ethical and professional responsibilities in carrying out market research. The Code is designed:

• To set out the ethical rules which market researchers follow;
• To enhance the public's confidence in market research by emphasising the rights and safeguards to which they are entitled under this Code;
• To emphasise the need for a special responsibility when seeking the opinions of children and young people;
• To safeguard freedom for market researchers to seek, receive and impart information (as embodied in article 19 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights);
• To minimise the risk of governmental and/or intergovernmental legislation inadvertently damaging the interests of legitimate social, opinion and market research.

Yes. Sponsors may register delegates at a special price. The price is dependent of the level of sponsorship. For more information please contact our sales team on +31-20-6642141 or at business@esomar.org

At ESOMAR events we provide the opportunity for companies to make 60 second presentations to the entire delegation. The presentations may be a recorded video, a live feed, a short demo or speech. It allows a brief moment to peak interest in the delegates and when combined with an exhibition space, helping to drive traffic to your stand during the conference.

It is important to stress that the regular content of ESOMAR events is peer reviewed and not commercial in nature.

ESOMAR hosts different types of events, from ½ day local events to a 2 ½ day global Congress, and provides various sponsorship options. We are happy to tailor a sponsorship solution to meet your business objectives. For more specific information on what sponsorship options are available please contact our sales team on +31-20-6642141 or at business@esomar.org.

No. In line with our privacy policy ESOMAR does not provide the direct contact information to any third parties. ESOMAR does not provide any direct email marketing solutions.

Sponsors may build a 60 second commercial presentation into their sponsorship package. Sponsors may become part of a conference or Congress programme if they are selected to present by the programme committee. The sponsorship of an event has no bearing on decisions made by the programme committee, so sponsorship of an event does not influence or guarantee inclusion in the programme.

Maybe. Registrants to a webinar may opt-in to receive information directly from the webinar sponsors and in doing so agree to share their contact details. Personal data from the ESOMAR webinar delegates shared with the sponsor under this agreement can only be used according to the latest applicable data privacy legislation.

No. In line with our privacy policy ESOMAR does not provide the direct contact information to any third parties. Everyone attending an ESOMAR conference/Congress will receive a list of participants, which includes their name, company name and country.

There are a range of advertising options available in Research World. From a small 1/16 advertisement to a full false cover we provide a comprehensive range of advertising solutions. More information and pricing can be found in the Research World media pack

ESOMAR hosts different types of events, from ½ day local events to a 2 ½ day global Congress, and provides various exhibition options, hence the cost to exhibit at an ESOMAR event varies. For more specific information on what events and exhibitions options there are please contact our sales team on +31-20-6642141 or at business@esomar.org

The directory is purely a members-only benefit. This means that only companies with at least one ESOMAR member in the listed branch can purchase a Directory listing. A company without member is not eligible for a listing.

As only companies with a member are eligible to a listing in the Directory, we kindly ask you to recruit a new member amongst your team. Please submit an application online.
If one of the members listed on your Directory entry is leaving/ has left the company, please login to MyDIRECTORY to update your listing and inform us at membership@esomar.org.

Please send an email to directory@esomar.org and we will provide you with the login details.

Please send an email to directory@esomar.org and we will provide you with the login details.

Any update requires validation by ESOMAR; please allow 1-2 working days for the changes to take effect.

Your update requires validation by ESOMAR, please allow 1-2 working days for the changes to take effect. Once the changes are transferred to the website you will be able to update your listing again.

The Directory is an online tool only; since 2008 the print version of the Directory is not available anymore.

The ESOMAR Directory of Research is a searchable online resources, allowing users to search 4,600 ESOMAR members, 186 local associations and 1,600 research agencies and organisations worldwide. 

The Directory enables research buyers to find research companies across the globe with the reassurance that all companies listed have an ESOMAR member who has undersigned to abide by the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market and Social Research.

The Directory of Research can also be used to make enquiries about a research project or a company's services.

The ESOMAR Directory of Research is used by buyers of market research services. ESOMAR attracts marketers and market research professionals who are actively seeking assistance from outside vendors. Providing them with the perfect resource in their search for research partners from all around the world.

Every month, over 18,750 unique visitors search the ESOMAR Directory with an average of 170,000 company listings viewed per month.

The ESOMAR Directory of Research also provides details of ESOMAR members, representatives and associations. 

The ESOMAR Directory of Research is used by buyers of market research services. It can also be used to search for ESOMAR members and representatives and local market research associations. 

ESOMAR attracts marketers and market research professionals who are actively seeking assistance from outside vendors. Providing them with the perfect resource in their search for research partners from all around the world.

Every month, over 18,750 unique visitors search the ESOMAR Directory with an average of 170,000 company listings viewed per month.

In the search of organisations, market research companies and companies that offer services to market research companies. From global providers to independent consultants, companies of all sizes and specialisations advertise their expertise in the directory. The ESOMAR Directory of Research includes full service companies, quantitative and qualitative research specialists, focus group facilities, field services and data collection companies, moderators, online research specialists, mystery shopping providers, and publishers of syndicated research.

If you want to specifically search for a company that offers a certain research solution or specialisation, you can use our advanced search on the research organisation search.

Here you can segment your search with the following criteria:

• Location
• Research solution
• Type of company
• Market sectors
• Services offered

The ESOMAR Directory provides you with the tools to find your perfect research partner.

All companies listed in the search for organisations have at least one ESOMAR member in their office that has signed to abide by the ethical guidelines in the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market and Social Research.

In a case where an individual member has been found to breach the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market and Social Research, the possible sanctions range from a private warning to expulsion from ESOMAR membership and publication of the sanction imposed.

For more information, see the section Knowledge and Standards.

Inlcusion in the members search is an ESOMAR member benefit. As is inclusion in the search for research organisations. However for a company to be included in the search of organisations there is a requirement for an additional payment. More information of this options provided for companies can be seen on the List Your Company page.

ESOMAR runs a number of thematic and regional conferences throughout the year. ESOMAR also runs webinars, workshops and local meetings around the world. Further details can be found on our events pages.

Congress is ESOMAR's annual flagship event and is the global gathering of market research, marketing and advertising decision makers. During the Congress, ESOMAR offers exclusive content, dynamic presentations, satellite events, a lively social programme and one of the largest MR industry exhibitions.

Usually a two-day event, an ESOMAR conference gathers international experts to share innovative and thought provoking content in specific areas of research at a global and regional level. Further details of this year's events can be found on our events pages.

A webinar is a one-hour online presentation featuring a specific research topic and concluding with a live Q&A. An archive of our past webinars is open to all ESOMAR members and can be accessed in MyESOMAR. Further details of this year's webinars can be found on our events pages.

Workshops are small interactive sessions run by one or two senior experts in a research field. Workshops concentrate on the "how to" of a specific subject and usually cover one or two days of intense learning in an interactive and informal atmosphere. Further details of this year's workshops can be found on our events pages.

Through the introduction of our "ESOMAR - BEST OF" series in 2010, we are now bringing speakers from our global ESOMAR conferences to local meetings to provide our members with exposure to international ideas and innovations and to network with others in the local industry. These events include local talent as well as international speakers covering everything from case studies to international successes and award winning papers. The meetings are open to anyone active in market, opinion and social research industry. Further details of this year's local meetings can be found on our events pages.

Everyone is welcome to attend, however ESOMAR members benefit significantly from reduced rates to attend ESOMAR events.

If you would like more information on becoming a member please visit our membership pages or contact our membership team at membership@esomar.org.

Yes, you can receive the members' discount once the membership fee has been paid. However, if approval is not finalised you will not be eligible for a refund of the membership fee.

You can apply for ESOMAR membership when completing the registration form for an event or you can fill in the online membership application form, which can be found in the membership section of our website. Should you have any questions regarding your application or other membership benefits, please contact us at customerservice@esomar.org.

ESOMAR membership is on an individual basis only. The membership is not transferable to other colleagues in the organisation. If your company is listed in the Directory of Research Organisations, it means there is an ESOMAR member present in your company and only the individual member(s) can benefit from the reduced rates.

Each event has specific registration deadline dates which influence the pricing and the cancellation conditions. You should check the registration pages relating to that particular event, and verify the deadline dates. You can register at any time including last minute at the event venue.

Companies sending several delegates to an ESOMAR event should contact our customer service team directly at +31 20 589 7800 or by email at customerservice@esomar.org to arrange the booking.

Details of the commercial opportunities available at ESOMAR events can be found in the Commercial Opportunities section of our website or you can contact our sales team directly at business@esomar.org

ESOMAR issues regular calls for speakers. Papers are submitted through an online form on the relevant events pages and final selections are determined by a Programme Committee, who selects speakers through a rigourous peer review process. Further information can be found on the ESOMAR events calendar.

Alternatively, you can send an email to conference@esomar.org and let us know about your areas of interest and expertise. Our conference team will contact you when speaking opportunities arise that may match your preferences.

Yes, this is why ESOMAR conferences are unique, providing a tangible take-away for participants. Presentations supported by a written paper are also eligible for the annual ESOMAR best paper award. All written papers are included in the ESOMAR publications store and are made available to those who attend the event.

As speaker you will receive a special code to assist you in processing your online registration. In case you experience any trouble, please contact: customerservice@esomar.org

Yes. We encourage active participation and commitment from all areas of the industry. Our Programme Committee members enable ESOMAR to continue to provide unbiased peer review, while contributing to furthering developments in their fields of expertise. If you wish to apply please contact the ESOMAR events team at conference@esomar.org.

For each accepted paper, ESOMAR will waive one registration fee. If there is more than one speaker, it is the speakers' responsibility to decide how the fee is to be split. However, ESOMAR will waive fees (maximum of 2 registrations) for any paper presented jointly by a provider and client. A client is any individual or organisation that requests, commissions or subscribes to all or any part of a market research project as defined in the ICC/ESOMAR Code.

ESOMAR online event registration forms includes a link to Saferpay, our payment system that allows you to pay directly by credit card. Alternatively, you can register as attending the event and pay by bank transfer or pay online later upon receipt of an invoice from ESOMAR.

If you wish to cancel your event registration, you have the following options:

1. A substitute may attend in your place; however, the status of the replacement delegate (member/non-member) may affect the original fee charged.
2. You can request a full refund if your cancellation has been received, in writing, before the Early-Bird cancellation deadline.
3. 3. You can request a partial refund if the cancellation deadline has passed already. Please refer to the cancellation policy listed in your confirmation email.

Should you have any questions, please contact our Customer Service team directly at +31 20 589 7800 or by email at customerservice@esomar.org.

Workshops are priced separately and require additional registration.

The conference registration fee includes:
• Entrance to all sessions and exhibition area on the day(s) of your choice

• Entrance to the welcome reception 
• Conference papers (digital) 
• Lunch, refreshment breaks and networking drinks 

• Entrance to the session(s) on the day(s) of your choice 
• Binders for workshops and seminar 
• Coffee breaks and lunch 

If you register online, you will receive an automatic confirmation email. ESOMAR will also re-confirm your registration with accompanying invoice/receipt shortly after registering.

If you have not received your follow-up confirmation please contact our Customer Service team directly at +31 20 589 7800 or by email at customerservice@esomar.org.

Please check the event programme for updates and timings. ESOMAR events usually open at 09:00 and run until 17:30. We always welcome attendees to a welcome drink the evening before the event which usually starts at 19:00.

Your identity badge and delegate pack will be ready to collect at the ESOMAR registration desk at the event venue. You will receive an update email with this information a few days before the event.

Event presentations are available to all delegates a week after the conference provided an event evaluation form is completed by the delegate and the presenter has given permission to have his or her slides distributed.

ESOMAR offers a special "Young Researcher" fee to attend our global events. Additionally, as part of ESOMAR's Developing Talent initiative, university and college professors can nominate students to attend ESOMAR events for free. Students are given the opportunity to network and gain a deeper understanding of the industry by attending the sessions. More information can be found in our Developing Talent section.

ESOMAR webinars are free of charge. If you have registered but are unable to attend the webinar live session, a recording of the session will be sent to you afterwards. The Q&A of the session will also be posted on the ESOMAR LinkedIn Group where the webinar presenter(s) will post additional thoughts on the questions.

As an additional member benefit, ESOMAR members can access recordings of previous webinar sessions in MyESOMAR free of charge. If you are not an ESOMAR member, you can access the recordings only if you have registered to the webinar in advance. Login details will then be provided.

Maintaining consumer trust and protecting respondent rights is central to the success of research and ESOMAR helps members to stay abreast of consumer and regulator concerns, current laws and upcoming issues. Both our members and the research sector as a whole, benefit from the Government Affairs advocacy of ESOMAR.

ESOMAR actively advocates to legislators the value and legitimate interests of market, social and opinion research and their contribution to business and society. Working with other associations, ESOMAR seeks to protect research from unintended consequences of legislation designed for other sectors. This includes, for example, producing position papers, providing updates and liaising with external stakeholders and policy decision makers in face-to-face meetings.

ESOMAR, like other associations, is monitoring data protection, privacy and other legislative issues worldwide. The messages from regulators in the EU, US and other regions are increasingly convergent. As data protection and privacy laws are being strengthened to account for globalisation and developments in technology, market researchers will increasingly need to observe new rules to avoid penalties from regulators with increased enforcement powers.

The two are very closely aligned to ensure that the latest legislative developments are taken into account in the ICC/ESOMAR International Code and in the maintenance and development of the various ESOMAR guidelines. Government Affairs work is important for both the ESOMAR Professional Standards and Legal Committees.

To raise awareness, ESOMAR provides overviews of proposed legislative changes and regulatory issues, but it is not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice on specific laws. For guidance on applying the ICC/ESOMAR International Code and ESOMAR guidelines, please go visit our Knowledge and Standards FAQ's or contact professional.standards@esomar.org.

Data protection and privacy laws are under intense scrutiny and discussion in many countries and on a regional level (EU, US, APAC, OECD, Council of Europe). In addition, proposals to introduce or amend laws restricting the conduct of opinion polls are also a key concern to researchers. Proposed laws relating to children and young people, or that govern copyright or access to public information, can also pose unexpected restrictions on researchers' activities and are therefore actively monitored by ESOMAR.

ESOMAR works with international experts in its Professional Standards and Legal Affairs Committees and it also consults with a wide cross-section of the market, social and opinion sector including specialist experts and leading research companies.

Furthermore, ESOMAR works with national and regional associations to strengthen and harmonise messages to legislators and to improve understanding about the impact of legal proposals on market, social and opinion research across different countries and regions.

For example, ESOMAR cooperates with EFAMRO (European Federation of Associations of Market Research Organisations) to provide a comprehensive voice for the sector towards EU policymakers, and with CASRO in the USA to provide the international perspective in messages to the FTC on issues which have global impact. ESOMAR also cooperates with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to understand the impact of global legislative proposals and to ensure that the voice of research is heard by international regulators in all global regions.

ESOMAR actively encourages the sharing of information and knowledge about legislative, regulatory and policy developments with national associations and ESOMAR Representatives to combine resources and expertise. 

The Government Affairs section of the ESOMAR website publishes all latest developments about our activities. You should also sign up to receive the monthly ESOMAR e-bulletin (in the footer below).

What if my question is concerning a national issue?

If your question concerns a national issue, contact the relevant national association.

If there is no national association in your country or if your query is specific to a provision of the ESOMAR Code and guidelines then ESOMAR can provide support on code interpretation at professional.standards@esomar.org.

Our position papers are available on the website by subject.

If you are a journalist, go to the ESOMAR press room or email: press@esomar.org

If you are a national association, more tailored information on global government affairs developments affecting market, social and opinion research are provided on our Associations section of our website.

For more details, contact government.affairs@esomar.org.

The Guidelines for Use have been created to ensure that the Membership Mark is displayed correctly on websites, emails, business cards, etc.. These guidelines protect the integrity and credibility of the mark and ensure a global quality stamp for ESOMAR members.

ESOMAR is open to experienced and young professionals and graduate students, all over the world who value high quality research and recognise the important role it plays in helping businesses make effective decisions.

ESOMAR offers two membership tiers:

Graduate & Young Professionals membership for young professionals under the age of 30 who are either in their final year of graduate studies or first years of business.

Regular membership for all professionals who do not qualify for Graduate & Young Professionals membership and/or persons who wish to receive full regular member benefits.

To apply for membership, please complete the online application form. You will be asked for:

Membership applications need to be supported by a reference. Graduate & Young Professional member applicants can provide either name of a current ESOMAR member or reference letter from their (HR)manager or professor while applicants for Regular membership need to provide either name of a current ESOMAR member or reference letter from a client on original letterhead. In both cases the reference needs to be personal; not for the company. ESOMAR will contact the current member for reference before sending on the application for review.
Regular memberships are reviewed by the national representative who might contact you for introduction and further information; Graduate & Young Professional membership requests are reviewed by our Director General. Final approval of any membership application is only given upon receipt of the full fee and review by the council members.

ESOMAR membership is on an individual basis only. We do not currently offer corporate membership. Only individual ESOMAR members working in your company are entitled to the reduced member prices on ESOMAR events, workshops and publications.

• ESOMAR membership is for a duration of 12 months from the date of applying.
• After 12 months membership is renewed automatically for another year, unless otherwise requested.
• A member who wishes to resign must contact the ESOMAR membership team in writing before the end of their current membership anniversary date. If the ESOMAR membership team is not contacted before the anniversary date, membership will automatically be renewed for the following year and full membership fee will be invoiced. (see Statutes, article 17)
• Any former member who wishes to re-join the Society shall submit a new application and, if approved, shall be regarded as a new regular member.

Memberships with a starting date before March 2010 are based on calendar year (Jan - Dec); the conditions mentioned above apply.

A membership certificate is available for download in MyESOMAR.
It is only available for regular members.

The membership certificate is valid for 12 months; a new version must be downloaded after each renewal.

Forgot your password?

Please note that you can retrieve your password on the ESOMAR website. You only need to enter your email address and press the "Send Me My Password" button. You will receive your password in your inbox. Please be sure to personalise your password once you log in.

Has your membership invoice been paid?

Access to MyESOMAR is granted to paid members, therefore if you have not settled your renewal payment your access will be limited. To make a payment for renewal, you can use our online payment portal: http://payment.esomar.org or by bank transfer.

For any technical questions regarding your account, please contact us at membership@esomar.org.

The ESOMAR membership is personal and not transferable. If a colleague wishes to become a member, he/she needs to apply via the ESOMAR website here.
Your own membership then still needs to be cancelled. Please send a notification per email to membership@esomar.org.

Login to MyESOMAR and update your contact details. The changes require validation by ESOMAR, so please allow 2-3 days for the update.

The Membership Mark is available to all members who have paid their Membership fee. If you are not able to download the Mark, it is possible that your membership fee has not been received. As soon as you have renewed your Membership, you will be able to download and use your personal Membership Mark. If this is not the case, there could be a technical issue.

Please contact us with any questions: Tel: + 31 20 589 7800 or at membership@esomar.org.

Please login to MyESOMAR to provide your new contact details or send an email with your updated complete information to membership@esomar.org. Your membership will run until the end of the 12 months term and you will then be contacted for renewal.
In case you do not wish to keep the membership, please inform; your membership will then lapse at the end of the term.

Your personal statement confirms your commitment to uphold to the highest standards of professional practices as enshrined in the ICC/ESOMAR International Code of Market and Social Research and ESOMAR World Research Guidelines.

We do not permit unauthorised use of the ESOMAR logo. Members can however download the specially designed membership mark for use in email signatures or publications. Please note that this membership mark is only for use for the individual member and not the member's company or organisation.

Members:

You can download the Membership Mark in MyESOMAR. Follow the steps to download your personal Membership Mark.

Non-Members:

The Membership Mark is only available to ESOMAR members. If you would like demonstrate your commitment to internationally recognised professional standards and apply for the Mark and other ESOMAR membership benefits, please click here.

The link contains the URL to your personal member page on the ESOMAR website. This page displays your name, company and country information, and verifies your individual membership and commitment to the ICC/ESOMAR Code and ESOMAR Guidelines.

Yes. However, as membership to ESOMAR is on an individual basis, it is important that when the Membership Mark is used on your company website it contains the HTML code to your personal member page and that it includes the following personal statement:

As an ESOMAR Member, name of the member, complies with the ICC/ESOMAR CODE and ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH GUIDELINES.

Three months before the expiration date of your membership, you will automatically receive an invoice for the upcoming year. Your membership will be renewed upon receipt of payment. You can arrange payment online or by bank transfer.

To access ESOMAR's secure online payment form click here. You will need to provide the following information:

• Invoice number
• Invoice date (dd/mm/yyyy)
• Grand total in EUR
• Credit card details

If you prefer to arrange a bank transfer, please do not forget to state your invoice number as a reference and to arrange the transfer to ESOMAR using the following bank details - all details can be found directly on the invoice provided:

For membership terms please visit our statutes. Please contact us at membership@esomar.org for any questions regarding your membership renewal. If you are experiencing problems submitting payment online, please contact finance@esomar.org.

All cancellations must be submitted in writing to the membership department. An email is sufficient. Please contact us at membership@esomar.org.

ESOMAR membership ends upon the expiration date of the current term; this will be confirmed via email by the membership team.

Publications and event papers published from the year 2000 onwards are available through the store. If you cannot find the publication you are looking for, or have any questions, please contact us at publications@esomar.org.

You may return products sold by ESOMAR, without giving any reason, within 7 days of delivery for a full refund. ESOMAR will not pay return shipping costs. ESOMAR cannot refund or accept products that are returned more than 7 days after delivery.

If the delivered products you have purchased are damaged in transit you may return these products within 30 days of delivery for a full refund or replacement. ESOMAR will only pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of an error made by ESOMAR. ESOMAR cannot refund or accept products that are returned more than 30 days after delivery.

In addition to article 17 and 18 of the ESOMAR Terms and Conditions, ESOMAR cannot refund and accept returns if:

• Products are not in their original condition and in their original packaging 
• Products are damaged, other than by shipping, or have missing parts 
• Products have been taken out of the plastic wrap or if the seal has been broken 

You cannot combine the quantity discount and the booksellers' discount. However, ESOMAR members will automatically receive reduced prices on all ESOMAR publications and can claim a quantity discount if applicable.

No, all prices include international postage and packaging costs.

You can pay only by credit card (Visa, Euro card, MasterCard and American Express.

All books, CD-ROMs and hard-copy publications are delivered by registered priority mail. Products are packed in a manner which reasonably assures that they are protected against deterioration and damages. Products are delivered to the address you provide; therefore please ensure that this address is correct. Single event papers are normally sent by email as PDF files.

It may take up to 14 days to receive your printed publication order by post. All digital purchases are available for download immediately after the completed transaction.

You can only receive members' discounts as a fully approved and paid-up ESOMAR member.

You must fill in the online membership application form, which can be found in our Membership section of the website. Should you have any questions regarding your application or other membership benefits, please contact us at membership@esomar.org.

Telephone orders cannot be accepted. If you are unable to place your order online, please email publications@esomar.org.

Quantity discounts: 25% discount on the purchase of 5 or more books, hard copy CD-ROMs and/or reports in one order.

Members' discounts: Fully registered and paid up ESOMAR members will automatically receive reductions of up to 25% on all ESOMAR publications and 50%. Members must log in with their Member ID login and password, before placing their order online, to receive the reduced prices.

Book retailers' discount: Retailers will receive a 25% discount on all publication orders. Other discounts cannot be combined with this discount.

Please contact us at publications@esomar.org to arrange large orders

All prices exclude VAT, which is 6% for books and 19% for single event papers. All customers within the Netherlands are automatically charged VAT. Customers in other EU countries must add VAT unless they provide their company VAT number. Customers outside the European Union are not charged VAT.

Yes. As is the case with any market research project, we often break down the issue into smaller sub-questions (e.g. from where sales are declining, to why there is no trial or low repeat purchase). It is also fine to limit the research to a few or one location. In this case you may want to highlight the research approach could be reapplied to other locations.

Manage the project like you would manage research for any marketing challenge; such as qualifying a new product, growing a declining business, changing habits, identifying opportunities in a new market, etc. What do you normally do? 

Define the issue/problem, review available knowledge, talk to key people, think of what action to take depending on different research outcomes, etc. - Identify key questions and hypothesis - Develop a research methodology - Collect the information - Analyse the data - Make recommendations.

Good research. We are not looking for a specific type of research. Again, as with any marketing issue, research is a tool to solve a business problem. We need research to solve a societal problem, an environmental problem or a health problem. Some problems lend themselves to straight forward research approaches, while other problems require creative approaches. If the solution seems obvious but is not happening, then you may want to research this point in itself. The choice of research methodology is entirely up to you.

As is the case with any research, you need to define your research target based on the research objective: do you want to talk to the deprived themselves to get their perspective on what they need? Or do you want to ask the rich how they can best help? Or policy makers? Or corporate executives? Or people in the humanitarian sector? Or opinion leaders? Media? Or a combination of some or all of these.

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Yes. You can take any research approach you wish but this prize is an individual prize. Members of the group can be accredited but the prize is for an individual. As in any other research, you start with the overall objective, then you identify an appropriate research methodology, or combination of methodologies.

No. The research has to be original and done for this ESOMAR award. You may, however, consider doing follow-up research building on your article. You could also use the data from the research project and submit new or different insights and recommendations.

Treat this project like researching any business challenge. You may want to write yourself a research brief similar to what you are used to using on business issues. As the topics are not concrete products, you may want to think of a service such as insurance or travel. Or you may want to think of concrete products that symbolize the end goal of your research. The limit is your imagination.