Connecting, Developing, Inspiring and Recognising qualitative research professionals

The place for peer support, professional reassurance, insight sharing, learning and teaching.

9th November

AQR Masterclass: Sensitive and Trauma-informed qualitative techniques - why they matter to all of us

Join us for an interactive and practical Masterclass from two fantastic agencies sharing their experience of getting to the heart of feelings and behaviours in a sensitive way, and understanding how to protect the wellbeing of you and your team as researchers when dealing with difficult subjects.

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Membership gives you a platform to thrive in qualitative research. Open the door to priority booking, event discounts, awards entries, the members' only website - and more

Become a member

Membership

Join AQR,
for membership that moves you forward.

Being a member of the AQR offers you a wealth of benefits; we push boundaries through thought leadership, hosting social networking events, creating opportunities for you to showcase your brilliance to to the broader research community through your easy-to-edit directory entry.

Benefits include:

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What our members are saying:

Caroline Whitehill

The AQR is unlike other industry bodies - it's fresh, vibrant and social. Somewhere to learn and meet other like-minded peers. Somewhere any quallie should want to belong.

Caroline Whitehill

Co-founder, Acacia Avenue

Alice Langthorne

As newish to this industry, being part of the AQR community has been an incredibly supportive experience. I’ve met so many wonderful people who’ve shared their wisdom, encouragement, and enthusiasm for the industry.

Alice Langthorne

Activation Manager, Boxclever Consulting

Donal Kelly

‘Being a member of the AQR truly feels like being part of a wider professional family — one that champions the shared interests, standards, and ambitions of our industry. The AQR has consistently provided a strong and credible voice for qualitative research, advocating for our work and supporting practitioners at every stage of their careers.

Donal Kelly

Company Director, Spectrum Viewing Facilities

James Sainsbury

As a predominantly qual fieldwork business, being members of the AQR gives us the opportunity to meet and engage with qual practitioners and gives us valuable insight into the qual community.

James Sainsbury

Managing Director at Criteria Fieldwork Ltd

Featured thinking

AQR Sparks - Webinar Session

Insight to Impact: Research Story Behind AQR Parker Prize.

Join Coco Ravan, Magenta Research, Winner of the AQR Parker Prize for Emerging Talent 2025 and Andy Broomhead, Diabetes UK. Hosted by Lydia Griffin, Trinity McQueen

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AQR brings you - Qual Futures

As we know, anyone involved in qual will tell you a lot has changed in the past couple of years. We are at the point where we know what AI can and cannot deliver. In our second online session we will restate the value of qualitative thinking, reasserting the role of human intelligence and interpretation.

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AQR Webinar Taking the Pulse

Ever wondered how qualitative research is currently faring outside your backyard, and what lies ahead? AQR invites researchers from across the world to share their experience and help us plan, as an industry, how to embrace change while setting the stage for a better, more collaborative, future.

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Industry guidance

AURA's Working Well Together Charter

Support AURA's Initiative to improve well-being in our industry through better ways of working. AURA believe that the way clients and research agencies work together can make a real difference to people's confidence and well-being.

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AQR's Safety Guidance

Fieldwork can be complicated to set up and execute at the best of times. The AQR Safety Guidance is intended to make it easy to ensure the safety of researchers and fieldworkers is built into the process.

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Data Quality Excellence Pledge

As the market and social research sector continues to lead the way in the use and evolution of data for decision making, the Global Data Quality initiative (GDQ) has unveiled the Data Quality Excellence Pledge. If you wish to find out more about the pledge you can do so via the GDQ website.

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Awards

Recognising achievements in qualitative research

We are delighted to announce the finalists for the 2026 AQR Qualitative Excellence Award. This award recognises and celebrates case studies that exemplify the very best in qualitative thinking and practice.

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This year's finalists are...

Making the Mundane Premium - how micro-moments revealed a new formula for functional and emotional superiority

Heeru Sajnani

Ninth Seat

Swathi Manjunath

Unilever


Getting Closer to the Customer: How qual transformed the wholesale eB2B conversation

Stephanie Holland

Hush Research & Strategy

Richard Jones, Russell Close, and Ellie Price

Carlsberg Britvic


Oral Care as Social Currency: reframing growth from cost to culture

Hannah Ridout

Ipsos

Solene Brachet

Haleon


Learn more about the award