Who's Missing? New Research on Participation, Trust, and the Future of Market Research

Participation is the foundation of every research study, yet the factors influencing who participates, what they are willing to share, and how representative our data remain are changing.

The concern isn't new, but for the first time, the IDEA Council's State of Market Research Participation Study team is working toward an industry-wide, evidence-based understanding of how participation is changing, who is affected, and what steps can be taken to strengthen trust, representation, and data quality. This interactive session combines evidence from a comprehensive literature review with perspectives from industry leaders to explore why we are at risk of losing certain populations, why it matters to consumer insights and business leaders, and what researchers should do next.

As a moderated discussion, the team will discuss the insights that surprised them most, where the evidence converges, where important questions remain, and what these findings could mean for the future of participant recruitment, representativeness, and business decision-making.
Attendees will leave with practical implications for their organizations, questions to consider in their own research, and an opportunity to help shape the next phase of this industry-wide initiative.