The AMA has a set of best practices which outline how to conduct several qualitative and quantitative marketing research techniques. (
http://www.marketingpower.com/content24638.php
)
The Marketing Research Association is the leading and largest association of the opinion and market research profession, a multi-billion dollar a year industry dedicated to providing valuable information to guide the decisions of companies that provide products and services to consumers and businesses. (
http://www.mra-net.org/about/index.cfm
)