Conducting Ethical Market Research Like a Pro - Part 2

Today, we continue on into the complex world of Ethical Marketing Research, where we will be covering data management and protection as well as ethical questions.

Seeing as you have found part 2 of Ethics in Market Research, I hope you have already read Part 1 - which you can find here. In Part 1, I have gone through how research rigour and informed consent/confidentiality will assist you in implementing ethical marketing practises.

In summary, research rigour represents the integrity and competence that a researcher will demonstrate in their market research. Rigour can be measured against how valid and reliable data is. This will ensure findings are trustworthy and accurate. Furthermore, all participants must give informed consent before market research commences. This means participants need to understand details about the study including the purpose, duration, required procedures, risks and potential benefits, so they can decide whether they want to take part or not. Additionally, us marketers need to make sure we protect their information by keeping things confidential.

Moooooving on - let’s get right into it:

Data Management and Protection

Data storage and handling involves not only hard copy materials, such as questionnaires, but also digital material, such as audio and video recordings, transcripts and coded data files.

Typically data may be kept for several years as the project progresses and the publication process unfolds. It is up to us, as market researchers, to protect and manage this information.

In order to protect and manage data, the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research involving humans (2007) suggested the following tips:

• Market researchers should remove identifying material from records at the earliest possible time.

• Only collect personal information where it is absolutely necessary for the research.

• Use coding procedures.

• Store separately any data containing personal information.

• Not store personal information on your hard disk (or USB).

Successful data management and protection ties in with links to confidentiality. Those who participate in our market research are doing nothing but benefitting our businesses, so let’s give it back by returning efforts of trust, privacy and ethical practices!

Ethical Questioning

One of the biggest challenges of doing your market research ethically, is that some areas can be incredibly grey. One of these areas include issues that affect questioning ethically. Keep in mind, all market researchers should think clearly about their research processes and be prepared to justify their research approaches.

Three aspects that need to be considered when compiling your questions for your market research include:

Role conflicts: Role conflict happens when there are contradictions between different roles that a person takes on or plays in their everyday life.

Working with disempowered/marginalised groups: The concept of vulnerability has held a central place in research ethics guidance since 1979. It signals mindfulness for researchers and research ethics boards to the possibility that some participants may be at higher risk of harm or wrong.

Guilty knowledge: The knowledge of facts or circumstances required for a person to have * mens rea for a particular crime. Knowledge is usually actual knowledge, but when a person deliberately ignores facts that are obvious, he is sometimes considered to have “constructive” knowledge.

With ethical market research, you can be certain that your findings are legitimate, trustworthy and collected whilst respecting individuals basic human rights. Ethical research is an in depth and complex topic, so while you are well on your way to being an ethical market researcher - you can find out even more at https://www.insightsassociation.org/issues-policies/mra-code-marketing-research-standards!