SIMAR certification
Agencies commit to adhering to the Ten Commandments of Personal Data Protection in Research and, starting in 2024, to the principles set forth in the guidelines for an user-friendly questionnaire.
The PRO VÝZKUM initiative supports people’s willingness to take part in research. We want to reassure respondents that their personal data are safe at a research agency, that research projects are run as considerately as possible, and that their findings serve society and the development of the Czech economy. That is a firm foundation for the further development of our whole field, and one we can keep building on.
The Ten Principles of PRO VÝZKUM
In the area of personal data protection, together with the agencies taking part, we stress the difference between market and public opinion research and direct-selling techniques. We undertake to inform respondents transparently about how their data are used and handled, we protect the data we obtain rigorously and anonymise them at the first opportunity. Researchers are also ready to show respondents how research helps society and the economy.
A respondent-friendly questionnaire
In the area of running research projects considerately, the principles of a respondent-friendly questionnaire include testing the questionnaire before it goes live, monitoring interview length and respondents’ satisfaction with the questionnaire, and attention to the various techniques that make answering easier for respondents.
SIMAR, the association of market and public opinion research agencies, grants an agency the right to use the elements of the PRO VÝZKUM initiative. That right belongs to a SIMAR member agency which meets the conditions of the Ten Principles of PRO VÝZKUM and of the respondent-friendly questionnaire.
SIMAR certification
SIMAR also runs a certification scheme; certified agencies have the right to use a special certification logo. It checks compliance with the rules at member agencies regularly and co-ordinates training in this area.
The PRO VÝZKUM certification has so far been awarded to the member agencies Data Collect, Ipsos, Nielsen Admosphere, NMS Market Research, ResSOLUTION Group, STEM, STEM/MARK and Talk Online Panel.
