One hundred years have passed since the founding of the first independent market research firm in the UK in 1921. This important milestone inspired this special issue of the International Journal of Market Research that explores the role and importance of market research through a historical lens. A historical approach enables recognising and (re)framing both academic and practitioner contributions to market research through the years. Knowing the past allows better understanding and appreciation of the present, while simultaneously enabling envisioning of the future. In this introduction, we briefly review the origins and development of market research before introducing the three papers that comprise the special issue.

自 1921 年在英国成立第一家独立市场研究公司以来，已经过去了一百年。这一重要的里程碑启发了国际市场研究杂志的特刊，该杂志从历史的角度探讨了市场研究的作用和重要性。历史方法能够识别和（重新）构建多年来对市场研究的学术和从业人员的贡献。了解过去可以更好地理解和欣赏现在，同时可以展望未来。在本导言中，我们先简要回顾一下市场研究的起源和发展，然后再介绍构成特刊的三篇论文。