Glossary of Market Research Terms (I to Z)

Incentive An inducement to co-operate in a market research study.

Interviewer An individual who on behalf of the organisation recruits/interviews respondents
face-to-face or by telephone. NOTE: Those who conduct depth recruitment and interviews
are treated as interviewers.

Life-style A life-style, or lifestyle (the hyphen is often omitted) is a way of life for a community
or an individual, expressed particularly in activities, interests and opinions, and to some degree
in the products and brands consumed. Various lifestyle classifications have been devised for
commercial use.

Market research Market research has sometimes been distinguished from marketing research,
to mean the collection of data about markets by means of surveys.

Market Research Society The MRS was founded in 1946, and is the incorporated UK professional body for those using survey techniques for market, social and economic research. The Society aims to promote and protect the interests of the profession, and to maintain and improve standards of competence.

MRS Freephone number An independent service provided to the public to verify the legitimacy of UK market research agency members. This number is currently 0500 39 69 99

Omnibus survey A survey which covers a number of topics, usually for different clients.

Panel A sample of people, households, or retail outlets, or sometimes of other kinds of organisation, from which information is obtained on more than one occasion.

Population The whole of the material from which a sample may be taken.

Verification A checking process during data coding and data entry stages undertaken by a second person.

Weighted sample A sample to which post-weighting has been applied, i.e. weighting after fieldwork.