Input needed on the legal definition of ‘Research’.

CMOR, a division of the Marketing Research Association, is requesting input from the survey and opinion research profession on its proposed legal definition of “research.”

Definitions of research in U.S. state and federal law are few and far between. Therefore, CMOR’s Government Affairs Committee developed one.

“How can we best encompass all modes and methods of research in one concise and coherent definition? How can we take account of what we know research to generally be right now, while keeping it flexible enough to encompass what research might be a decade or more down the road?” asked Howard Fienberg, Director of Government Affairs, CMOR.

CMOR seeks your feedback on this proposed definition: the term “bona fide opinion and market research” means the collection and analysis of data regarding opinions, needs, awareness, knowledge, views and behaviors of a population, through the administration of surveys, interviews, focus groups, polls, observation, or other research methodologies, in which no sales, promotional or marketing efforts are involved and through which there is no attempt to influence a respondent’s attitudes or behavior.

Feedback should be directed to MRA’s Twitter and Linkedin pages or to ho*************@*****et.org . Full background and further discussion on this topic are featured in the “Legislative Watch” column in the August issue of Alert!.

The Marketing Research Association is the leading and largest association of the survey and opinion research profession. It promotes, advocates and protects the integrity of the survey and opinion research profession and strives to improve respondent cooperation in opinion research which is a multi-billion dollar a year industry dedicated to providing valuable information to guide decisions of companies, individuals and others. For more information, visit http://www.mra-net.org>.