AMSR: The Archive of Market and Social Research

The AMSR is a living, searchable digitised archive of high quality research data and commentary. Drawn from the output of respected market research and social research practitioners over many decades, it forms an inspiring source of insight for those seeking to explore the dynamics of change – in the past, the present and crucially, for the future. This site is an introduction to the AMSR; click here for a direct link to the archive site.

LATEST ADDITIONS TO THE ARCHIVE

Click the red ‘More Additions to the Archive’ button above the main page heading to see examples of recently-added content.

The AMSR is almost entirely staffed by volunteers. If you’d like to join them, visit our volunteering page.

Visit our new Legacy Giving page to find out more and download our leaflet

LATEST AMSR UPDATE AVAILABLE

Every six months the AMSR releases a one-page summary of our recent activities and achievements. The latest edition is now available and it demonstrates the great progress that we continue to make.

Download the latest AMSR Update

Don’t forget, if you’re not already on our mailing list and would like to receive regular newsletters and updates from us, please subscribe on our Supporter page.

We are constantly reviewing and adding new material to the archive. In early 2022, it contained nearly 1,000 books and over 6,500 documents, as well as video and audio content – all digitised, searchable and downloadable from your desktop. We recommend that you read our page on ‘How to get the most out of the Archive’ – particularly if you are new to the AMSR. We have also recently added an index page to that demonstrates the scope of the Archive.

In the unlikely event that you can’t find the information you’re looking for in our Archive, don’t forget that there are many other resources worth investigating. Take a look at the AMSR Hub to find out more.

Every six months the AMSR produces a one-page Update on latest progress and developments.
Click here to read and download the PDF.

Recent stories from the Archive

The Dulux sheep dog is still with us – thanks to 60-year-old market research

In the late fifties ICI was Britain’s only truly global conglomerate and in its Paints Division there was already a free-standing market...

As the next general election approaches, political lessons from the last 50+ years

With a general election likely to take place in 2024 it is worth looking back at lessons to be learned from the...

COP28 and an update on British attitudes to the environment

An October 2020 poll by YouGov found that 67% of the British public wanted Britain to be a world leader on environmental...

A Picture of Britain in the 1950s

 Geoff Wicken acquired a vintage readership survey report for AMSR. It has much to tell us about a very different time… For...

Who can access the AMSR?

The archive is a resource for everyone, and anyone can access it by registering at the archive portal page. The archive contents will be of particular interest to:

• Educators and students, academic institutions

• Research practitioners

• Business and marketing consultants

• Industry associations

The long-term trend data contained in the TGI Trackback volumes, for example, place health, diet purchasing patterns in the late 20th Century in sharp relief. We have a long run of polling statistics and many other measures that will be of interest and value to anyone charting the recent past and planning for the future of our society.

Learn more:

Sir John Curtice, respected UK politial scientist, academic, broadcaster and psephologist, discusses the importance of the Archive.

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AMSR CEO Adam Phillips talks about the rationale behind the Archive at the MRS conference in March 2021.
See our Video Gallery for more clips.

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What does the archive contain?

The AMSR comprises major studies detailing UK social history, originally conducted by some of the best-known names in research. It is both a history of market and social research and our history through market and social research.

The archive contains market and social research material embracing books, research journals, data abstracts and conference papers. The sources include sector-leading organisations such as MORI, TGI, NOP, Millward Brown and the Market Research Society, to name just a few. Data goes back as far as WWII. It is the perfect place to uncover original context against which to set think pieces and proposals for future work.

A sample of the archive’s highlights will always be featured at the top of the home page – click any image to link directly to a case study. But there is much more to the archive than these, and the place to start any search is by browsing through the archive’s home page and using the word search facility. We add new material regularly so please subscribe to our newsletter (link to newsletter sign-up) to discover our latest additions.

Learn more:

Who supports the AMSR?

The AMSR is funded by a growing body of committed supporters who pledge – generally for a three year period or more – a sum of money to enable the AMSR to continue the work of making the valuable contents of the archive available to those who wish to access them. Donors generally have an interest in promoting the work of the market research sector, and the AMSR’s donorship structure provides opportunities for anyone from a large organisation to an individual to play their part.

Learn more about becoming a donor and other ways of getting involved with AMSR:

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Contribute material, volunteer and keep in touch

Contribute:

If you have any material you think would belong in the archive, there’s only one thing to do – get in touch! Find out more about contributing materials here:

Volunteer:

We couldn’t do what we do without a small army of volunteers. We have a dedicated team already in place but we always need more. Find out more here:

Newsletter:

The AMSR releases regular updates about the latest additions to the archive in our newsletter – it’s the best way to keep abreast of the growing resource we’re proud to curate. See past newsletters and register for the newsletter here:

The AMSR is a much needed resource for the research industry… it will be of inestimable value to all those who want to find out about research and the industry now and over the last 70 years.

Jane Frost CBE, CEO, Market Research Society

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