Date: July 18, 2008
Contact: Lawrence Brownell, 860-682-1000

Marketing Research Association Announces Internal Reviews for Panel Research
Internal Reviews to Provide Transparency for Panel Research

(Glastonbury, CT.) - The Marketing Research Association (MRA) in conjunction with the Interactive Marketing Research Organization (IMRO) Division and Council for Market Opinion Research (CMOR) has completed work on an internal review system for panel companies. This evaluation system will analyze elements that impact the online research process, to provide a level of assurance as to the work being done by individual companies. It addresses the internal performance as well as a company's ability to address individual panel member issues. Lead by Patrick Glaser, Director of Respondent Cooperation, CMOR, a committee of IMRO members has helped complete a thorough review tool for on-line panel and river research providers.

There has been some concern about the validity and performance of online research. The key to providing confidence to users of panel research is transparency. This collaborative effort will allow companies to use a thoroughly vetted self-assessment tool and publish their results. For greater confidence companies can elect to have CMOR and MRA's team conduct an independent assessment. “With experience on both the research provider and end client side, I appreciate how this initiative can increase confidence for research professionals in the quality of their online research,” said MRA President Jon Last (The Golf Digest Companies).

The Internal Review Tool is intended to be the most stringent performance measurement, but IMRO/MRA and CMOR will continue to work with other industry associations and initiatives to ensure that every angle of quality assessment or assurance can be delivered to buyers of on-line research.

Glaser with assistance from MRA staff will conduct two test reviews of select panel companies and publish the results to the profession. After these tests of the Internal Review Tool, the tool will be released as an interactive tool for panel companies to perform self analysis. Independent internal reviews will continue to be conducted for companies who wish to demonstrate the validity of their self analysis.

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For further information or to arrange interviews on this release, contact Larry Brownell, CEO, MRA at Larry.Brownell@MRA-net.org.

CMOR is a non-profit organization that promotes, advocates and protects the integrity of the survey and opinion research profession. CMOR strives to improve respondent cooperation in research and promote positive legislation impacting the survey and opinion research profession. CMOR is comprised of more than 150 organizations and companies, including other professional trade associations, research providers, end users/client companies, government entities and academic institutions. For more information, visit www.cmor.org.

The Marketing Research Association is the leading and largest association of the opinion and marketing research profession, a multi-billion dollar a year industry dedicated to providing valuable information to guide the decisions of companies that provide products and services to consumers and businesses. For more information, visit www.mra-net.org