Market Public Opinion and Social Research
Market public opinion surveys are conducted by public or private organizations, non-governmental organizations and media organizations in order to learn the tendencies of people from different segments of society on certain issues. However, the results of these researches have always been viewed with suspicion and it has always aroused curiosity about how much it reflects reality. This raises the validity and reliability problems of market opinion polls. The absence of these problems depends on the fact that the researches are carried out according to objective criteria at every stage from beginning to end.
The concept of public opinion emerged in the nineteenth century. The main idea is that people can establish a better life with their own hands, and thus social life can be made more refined. Today, the scope of public opinion surveys has expanded considerably in the form of market opinion and social surveys. These studies are conducted to determine the behavior, tendency, thoughts, needs and expectations of all or part of the people depending on their economic, political, cultural and social activities. For this purpose, the necessary information is collected systematically, objectively recorded, classified, analyzed and presented within the scope of these studies.
Today, market opinion polls have become a very important issue, and the number of organizations carrying out these studies is rapidly increasing. Similarly, the interest in the results of these researches is growing. Because these studies reflect the opinion of the public in the period they were made.
Briefly, market public opinion and social researches serve as a kind of communication tool by bringing the problems and issues to the agenda once again.
In general, these studies are carried out in two ways: qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative method does not focus on the numerical data related to the researched topic. Rather, it is tried to determine what people think, how they express, and what they remind people about. The quantitative method aims at collecting numerical data related to the research subject and is based on analyzing these data with mathematical and statistical methods.
The most important point about the results of a market public opinion and social survey is its validity and reliability. Reliability is the degree of stability of the results obtained with the application of any instrument used in the research, and the ability to give consistent results. It is necessary to measure the accuracy and accuracy of the data with similar methods and techniques. The critical question here is: would the same results be obtained if this research was conducted by another organization in the same way? If yes, the research results are reliable. In the meantime, the reliability of their research is directly related to the objective criteria.
However, in order for market opinion polls to provide sound information, the tool is not only reliable but also valid. If the results are valid and accurate, it means that the data obtained in the research describe the subject of the research as it is in fact and have solid bases in this direction. However, in the social sciences, it is difficult to obtain objective results that directly compare the research results and test their validity. Therefore, validity tests are generally performed.
As a result, in order to ensure that the results of market researches are valid and reliable, the purpose of the study should be clearly defined, what is desired to be achieved with this research, and the relationships between the various factors.
What is ISO 20252 Market Public Opinion and Social Research Management System?
Before the ISO 20252 standard was published, the following references were used:
- Guidelines for Publication of ESOMAR Public Opinion Research (1983), published by the World Union of Marketing and Opinion Researchers
- Declaration on the role of public opinion research in democratic systems published by the same organization
- Market Research Quality Standards Association's efforts in this direction
The ISO 20252 Market Public and Social Research Management System standard is a standard that emerged with the leadership of Britain and the participation of countries around 30. During the studies, many national standards were brought together and a common standard was prepared. The ISO 2006 standard, published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 20252, sets a common quality level for global market research and is valid worldwide.
Essentially, the scope of this standard includes: research process management requirements, management of research-related stages, data collection, data management and processing, and reporting of a research project. The ISO 20252 standard can be used by organizations conducting market research, public survey or social research, regardless of size. If these organizations apply the ISO 20252 standard, they can apply for an ISO 20252 certificate by applying to a certification body. Having this beet provides numerous benefits to the organization. For example,
- Provides reliable, valid and accurate information by the organization
- The research results eliminate the risks of misunderstandings or errors
- Efficient risk management is carried out through studies carried out in accordance with domestic and foreign legal regulations
- Increased reputation of the organization in the market
- The organization gains superiority over its competitors
- A sense of trust is created in customers
- Improves the service quality and productivity of the organization
- Commercial barriers are easily overcome and new business opportunities internationally
- Work is easy and fast, as business processes are defined
- Increases productivity of services provided by the organization
Several factors have contributed to the emergence of the ISO 20252 Market Public and Social Research Management System standard. Among these factors are cultural differences, social differences, behavioral differences and terms and definitions. The standard eliminates the discrepancies caused by these differences. The need for a common standard to ensure that market, public and social research is consistent, open and internationally effective has been effective in the preparation of the standard.
Today, market public opinion and social research are regularly conducted in many countries in order to measure public opinion on various social and political issues.
