AMSRS states that its principal aims are to improve professional standards and ethics in marketing and social research and assist members in career development.
Together, the two peak societies represent the Australian industry and work to promote an understanding of market and social research, help set and maintain the highest ethical and technical standards as well and represent the industry's regulatory and legislative interests.
The AMSRS works closely with the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO).
It provides training and professional development services to members, and it also offers services to the public, including a 1300 phone line, allowing interested members of the public to check the bona fides of market research companies.
The AMSRS has an active publishing arm and publishes several regular publications including the monthly practitioners' magazine, Research News, the peer-reviewed academic journal, Market and Social Research (formerly AJMSR) and an annual industry directory, the AMSRS Yearbook and Directory and occasional publications such as the Statistics E-Book.
[7][8] The AMSRS works closely with the Association of Market and Social Research Organisations (AMSRO).
[9] In popular usage, it is known simply as the Australian Market and Social Research Society or AMSRS.
[24] In 2016, the AMSRS and AMSRO commenced negotiations to merge the two organisations, allowing the industry to speak with a 'single voice'.
Both the AMSRO and AMSRS are empowered to investigate complaints relating to code breaches and can apply sanctions.
[28] The AMSRS has been instrumental in developing internationally recognised standards for conducting and reporting market and social research.