The ICC/ESOMAR Code is the leading international ethical and professional framework for market, opinion and social research, as well as related data analytics activities. The ESOMAR code helps research buyers, agencies and data providers ensure that research is conducted transparently, responsibly and without compromising participants’ rights or public trust.
What is the ICC/ESOMAR Code?
The ICC/ESOMAR Code, formally known as the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market, Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics, is a self-regulatory code developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and ESOMAR. It establishes principles for organisations and professionals involved in collecting, analysing, interpreting and reporting data for research purposes.
The ICC/ESOMAR code market research framework is not a replacement for national or regional law. Instead, it sets professional standards that should operate alongside applicable rules on personal data protection, consumer protection, electronic communications, advertising and competition. Where legal requirements are stricter than the Code, the law takes precedence. Where legislation is less specific, the Code provides an ethical benchmark for responsible practice.
The central logic of the ESOMAR code is that research depends on voluntary cooperation and public confidence. Participants must be able to understand that they are taking part in research, make informed decisions about participation and trust that their data will not be used in ways that are incompatible with the stated research purpose.
In practical terms, the ICC/ESOMAR Code distinguishes legitimate research from activities that may resemble research in form but serve a different objective, such as direct sales, fundraising, political persuasion or undisclosed lead generation. A survey cannot be presented as independent market research if its actual purpose is to obtain sales contacts, promote a product or influence a respondent’s behaviour.
Application of the ESOMAR Code in practice
The ESOMAR code is applied by research agencies, in-house insights teams, panel providers, fieldwork suppliers, data analytics companies, digital platforms and clients commissioning research. It is especially relevant when a project involves personal data, sensitive opinions, behavioural information, audio or video recordings, online tracking or the recruitment of participants from consumer or professional audiences.
In a typical quantitative research project, the ICC/ESOMAR Code informs the design of questionnaires, respondent invitations, consent processes, sampling procedures and data handling rules. For example, an online survey invitation should make clear who is organising the research, why participation is requested and how collected information will be used. Respondents should not be misled about the nature, sponsor or purpose of the study.
For qualitative research, the ESOMAR code is relevant during participant recruitment, moderation and reporting. In-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnographic observation and online communities may involve disclosure of personal experiences, professional information or sensitive attitudes. Researchers should explain recording arrangements, manage confidentiality and avoid revealing participants’ identities to clients unless appropriate permission and a valid legal basis exist.
The Code is also important in B2B research. Interviewing procurement directors, IT managers, healthcare professionals or industrial buyers may generate commercially sensitive information. The research process should protect both the identity of respondents and confidential information obtained through participation. Client organisations should receive findings in an aggregated or otherwise appropriately protected form unless disclosure has been explicitly agreed.
When applying the ICC ESOMAR code market research principles, organisations should address several operational questions before fieldwork begins:
- Whether the activity is genuinely research rather than sales, promotion or lead generation.
- What participants need to know in order to make an informed participation decision.
- Which data are necessary for the stated research purpose and how long they should be retained.
- How participant identities, responses and recordings will be protected from unauthorised access or disclosure.
- Whether children, young people or other potentially vulnerable groups require additional safeguards.
- How research results will be reported without overstating certainty, concealing relevant methodological limitations or creating misleading conclusions.
Hume’s Institute can apply these principles in quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods projects, particularly where different sources of evidence need to be combined while maintaining clear information obligations and appropriate data governance.
What the ICC/ESOMAR Code regulates in market research
Understanding what the ICC ESOMAR code regulates in market research is essential for separating ethical research design from merely formal compliance. The Code regulates professional conduct throughout the research lifecycle, from project planning and recruitment to analysis, reporting and data retention.
Its main areas of regulation include the following:
- Transparency: participants should not be deceived about the nature of the research or the organisation conducting it, subject to legitimate methodological techniques such as carefully managed blinding where disclosure could bias responses.
- Voluntary participation: individuals should be able to refuse participation or withdraw in accordance with applicable rules and the circumstances of the project.
- Privacy and data protection: personal data should be collected and processed responsibly, with safeguards appropriate to the type of information and associated risk.
- Confidentiality: identifiable respondent information should not be disclosed to clients or third parties without an appropriate basis and clear communication to participants.
- Protection of vulnerable participants: projects involving children, young people or people who may have limited capacity to assess participation require particular care.
- Research integrity: methods, findings and interpretations should be represented honestly, including relevant limitations affecting how results can be used.
- Separation of research from non-research activities: research participation must not become a concealed route to selling, advertising, fundraising or profiling for unrelated purposes.
The ESOMAR code does not prescribe one research method, questionnaire format or sampling model. It is principle-based, which makes it applicable to face-to-face interviewing, telephone surveys, online panels, mobile research, social listening, passive data collection and data analytics. The specific safeguards needed will differ depending on the method, the data collected and the participant group.
ICC/ESOMAR Code and related research methods
The ICC/ESOMAR Code is not a research method in itself. It is an ethical and operational framework that applies across methods. It therefore supports, rather than replaces, methodological standards for sampling, measurement, moderation, statistical inference, coding and data quality control.
In quantitative research, the ESOMAR code works alongside procedures such as probability sampling, quota sampling, weighting, questionnaire testing and statistical analysis. These methods address whether findings are robust and relevant to a target population. The Code addresses whether data were obtained and used in a manner that respects participants and preserves confidence in research.
In qualitative research, the ICC ESOMAR code market research framework complements interview guides, moderator protocols, observation plans and thematic analysis. It helps ensure that the researcher’s access to participants does not create undue pressure, that recordings are explained clearly and that quotations do not expose individuals unnecessarily.
The Code is also closely related to data protection compliance, but the two should not be treated as identical. Data protection law defines legal obligations concerning personal data processing. The ESOMAR code includes broader professional expectations, including honesty about research purposes, the proper separation of research and marketing, and responsible communication of results.
For mixed-methods projects, the ESOMAR code provides a common ethical basis across surveys, interviews, workshops and digital data sources. This is particularly valuable when findings from different methods are connected at participant level or when research teams, clients and specialist suppliers share responsibilities for data handling.
Adhering to the ICC/ESOMAR Code strengthens the credibility of research evidence because it demonstrates that the organisation treats participant rights, methodological transparency and data stewardship as integral elements of research quality rather than administrative formalities.