As set forth in the CASRO Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research, survey research organizations have a responsibility to strike a proper balance between the needs for research and the privacy of individuals who become respondents in the research. To achieve this balance, respondents must be protected from unnecessary and unwanted intrusions and/or any form of harassment.

The unique characteristics of Internet research require specific considerations regarding respondent privacy and data collection methodologies. The general principle of the Code as it applies to Internet research is that survey research organizations will not use unsolicited email to recruit respondents for surveys. Specifically, Research organizations are required to verify that individuals contacted for research by email have a reasonable expectation that they will receive email contact for research. Such agreement can be assumed when ALL of the following conditions exist.

A substantive pre-existing relationship exists between the individuals contacted and the research organization, the client or the list owners contracting the research (the latter being so identified);
Individuals have a reasonable expectation, based on the pre-existing relationship, that they may be contacted for research;

Individuals are offered the choice to be removed from future email contact in each invitation; and,
The invitation list excludes all individuals who have previously taken the appropriate and timely steps to request the list owner to remove them.

Also according to the Code, research organizations are prohibited from using any subterfuge in obtaining email addresses of potential respondents, such as collecting email addresses from public domains, using technologies or techniques to collect email addresses without individuals' awareness, and collecting email addresses under the guise of some other activity. Research organizations are prohibited from using false or misleading return email addresses when recruiting respondents over the Internet. Further, when receiving email lists from clients or list owners, research organizations are required to have the client or list provider verify that individuals listed have a reasonable expectation that they will receive email contact, as defined above.

Since CASRO members are required to annually certify they uphold these standards, the research company must verify that e-mail lists provided by clients for conducting Internet research projects have been collected and maintained under the provisions outlined above. By signing below, the client certifies that any e-mail address lists provided to the research organization conforms to the "reasonable expectation" principle identified above, addresses have not been collected under subterfuge or false/misleading pretenses, and all prior opt-out requests have been properly honored. Mutually, the research organization hereby agrees it will adhere to the practices set forth above when conducting research for the client, and provide the client with removal requests encountered throughout the project in a timely manner to maintain proper list hygiene, and allow the client to honor legitimate list removal requests.

As a CASRO® member, we subscribe to the CASRO Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research
established by the Council of American Survey Research Organizations®.