Media Rating Council

MRC Education Series and Perspective on Industry Matters

In addition to the extensive audits performed by MRC which help foster audience measurement improvement and illuminate the quality of research services to the marketplace, MRC proactively engages in other activities designed to enhance the understanding of various research methods and techniques among its membership and provide perspective to the industry on key research matters.  The MRC accomplishes these objectives by offering education seminars to its membership, and by periodically sharing its perspective on research matters and other quality initiatives through white papers released to the industry. 

Details about these activities are summarized below.

MRC Education Seminars

The MRC periodically conducts education seminars that are made available to its membership at no cost. Each Seminar is designed to focus on one aspect of survey methodology which enables an in-depth review of the subject matter.  Seminars are structured to include a general overview of the topic beginning with a summary of relevant terms and definitions, identification of best practices coupled with instances where these are employed by services, and a discussion of situations that warrant special attention.  Importantly, because these seminars are restricted to individuals employed by MRC member companies that are bound by confidentiality agreements, MRC is able to relate theory and best practices directly to the methodologies employed by rating services MRC audits.

Seminars conducted include:

Topic

MRC Orientation

Sample Design

Response Rates

Data Collection

Internet Measurement

Ratings Math & Standard Error

                                                      

   

MRC Published Documents

The MRC periodically publishes documents that are not tied to audit findings but are intended to provide our perspective on important matters for the industry to consider.  The following are recent documents released by MRC.

•   Respondent Selection Methods - The MRC shares its point of view on within-household respondent selection methods including a detailed report that reviews the state of knowledge on this subject with recommendations concerning current and possible enhanced practices.

•    Managing Change and Maintaining Quality - A paper presented at the October 2007 Worldwide Readership Research Symposium that provides the MRC's perspective on how to maintain quality in a rapidly changing cost pressured media measurement environment.

•     A Guide to Understanding Internet Measurement Alternatives - An educational paper that explores the major types of Internet audience measurement and matters to consider related to each measurement type.

•     Probability Sampling and Internet Measurement - Presents the MRC staff's point of view on probability sampling as it relates to Internet measurement

•     MRC Guidelines for Data Integration - Serves as a supplement to the MRC Minimum Standards for Media Rating Research and attempts to establish reasonable guidelines for suppliers concerning the assessment of data integration quality and the disclosure of information for users.

•     Advertising Agency Control Objectives and Questionnaire - Provides a summary of control objectives pertaining to the entry of Internet ad campaigns into third-party ad serving systems and includes a self assessment questionnaire to assess compliance with these objectives.