CIOM and KAPIOR: A Symbol of Professional Standards and Civic Responsibility
On January 2, 2025, the Public Opinion Research Center (CIOM) once again confirmed its membership in the Kazakhstan Association of Professional Researchers of Public Opinion and the Market (KAPIOR). This is not merely a formal event or a symbolic recognition, but an indicator of a stable professional stance, a conscious value-based choice, and institutional commitment to the highest standards in research activities.
KAPIOR Matters - Not Only for Researchers
KAPIOR is not simply an association of organizations in Kazakhstan. It represents an institutional effort to preserve and develop public trust in sociological and marketing research amid growing risks - from political manipulation to the erosion of civic reflection. In today’s Kazakhstan, where social change is occurring faster than the knowledge infrastructure can adapt, associations like KAPIOR play a key role in safeguarding the legitimacy of data and the research process itself.
KAPIOR (established in 2002) emerged in response to the pressing need for self-organization within the research community. The association is tasked not only with upholding professional standards, but also with defending ethics, methodological rigor, and social responsibility. Membership in KAPIOR demands more than competence - it requires intellectual and institutional maturity.
The Relationship Between KAPIOR and CIOM
CIOM stood at the origins of research culture formation in Kazakhstan and is one of KAPIOR’s founding members. Since its inception, the Center has adhered to the principles of openness, scientific integrity, and social dialogue. For us, membership in KAPIOR is not just a mark of quality - it is a reaffirmation of our commitment to shared professional values. We do not merely produce data; we cultivate trust in knowledge within a society where sociology often serves as a mediator between government, business, and citizens.
CIOM shares the Association’s goals: developing a research culture, implementing modern methods of analysis, counteracting data falsification, and promoting research findings to the wider public. In this sense, KAPIOR is not a supervisory body but a community that defines the framework and horizon for the profession’s development.
Contemporary Challenges and the Role of Professional Associations
Contemporary Kazakhstani society faces numerous social, political, and economic challenges. In these conditions, the importance of reliable data, analytical thinking, and independent expertise becomes paramount. Yet these elements do not arise in a vacuum - they require a protected professional environment, where knowledge is not exploited as a tool of manipulation, but serves as a resource for development. And it is precisely associations like KAPIOR that come to the forefront in ensuring such an environment.
Combating falsification, opposing “amateur” surveys, cultivating critical thinking and research ethics - these are not technicalities, but fundamental principles on which the quality of public dialogue depends. Moreover, in an era of disinformation and growing mistrust of institutions, independent research becomes part of democratic infrastructure. As a permanent member of KAPIOR, CIOM feels this responsibility - to society, to clients, to science, and to the future.
Not Just a Certificate, but an Affirmation of Professional Choice
Obtaining the certificate for 2025 is not an award, but a reaffirmation of our everyday work - from questionnaire design to the public interpretation of complex data. It is a sign that we are part of a living professional community, one that is unafraid to acknowledge mistakes, learn, and evolve. It is evidence that our work is embedded in a system of professional solidarity in which each member is accountable for the quality and advancement of the shared space of knowledge.
CIOM extends its gratitude to all members of the KAPIOR Association for their shared professional growth, collaboration, and support. We continue to move forward - with respect for facts, for people, and for the profession of the researcher.
