The reason for the proposed change is simple. "Since its humble beginnings in the early '80s, the AQRP's membership has grown to include academics, clients, field personnel, planners, client-side researchers, recruiters, studio managers - the list goes on," says AQRP chair Rachel Ormrod. "This broad range means that a focus on practitioners, the 'P' of AQRP, no longer reflects our rank and file." There are other, more lightweight, reasons, too. A three-syllable acronym will, hopefully, encourage people to enunciate each one or use its full name, the Association for Qualitative Research. AQRP was embarrassingly close to 'burp' and 'twerp' when pronounced in a hurry. We need a name which reflects our aim of becoming the definitive role for everyone interested in the professionalism of qualitative research, and AQR seems to fit the bill.
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At an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 11 May, at London's Grafton Hotel, AQRP members voted to change the name of the Association to AQR (Association for Qualitative Research). Out of 217 votes cast, 202 were for the motion, 11 against, and there were four spoilt papers. Since this took the numbers for over the 75% majority demanded by the Articles of the Association, the vote was carried.
Louella Miles
Writers4Management
This article was first published in InBrief magazine, May 2000
Copyright © Association for Qualitative Research, 2000
About the author

Louella Miles
Louella Miles, the editor of In Brief since July 1996, is a business journalist of some 20 years experience, focusing mainly on marketing-related topics. Louella is the co-founder of the professional writing service, Writers 4 Management, and along with her business partner Laura Mazur has written Conversations with Marketing Masters, published by John Wiley in January 2007, and Conversations with Green Gurus in 2009.
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