TS ISO 20252

TS ISO 20252 is the standard that brings together the common vocabulary and the service requirements for organizations providing market, opinion and social research, including insights and data analytics. It is intended to support consistent definitions and a shared service framework for research activities that are often used to inform business, public-sector and social decision-making.

Why vocabulary matters in research services

In this domain, terminology is not just a matter of wording: it shapes how research projects are designed, communicated and interpreted. Market research focuses on information about markets, customers and demand; opinion and social research explores attitudes, perceptions and social behavior; insights and data analytics relate to the processing, interpretation and use of data to generate actionable understanding. By aligning the language used by service providers, the standard helps reduce ambiguity when planning, delivering and describing research services.

Scope boundaries for service providers

According to the scope of this document, it applies to service providers conducting these research and analytics activities, while non-market research activities such as direct marketing are outside its scope. That boundary is important because research, data collection and marketing operations can overlap in practice, yet they serve different purposes and are often governed by different expectations. As a general technical reference, the standard supports more consistent professional practice across organizations working in this field.

• Common terms and definitions for market, opinion and social research
• Service requirements for providers of research, insights and data analytics
• A shared professional framework for describing research services
• Explicit exclusion of non-market activities such as direct marketing