Associate Membership
Why Become a Member ?
Joining the AOFIRS Association as a member signifies that you are dedicated to your profession as an online researcher.
You are interested in upgrading your professional development and like to learn more about the industry.
Your membership also highlights this dedication to potential employers, clients, and others, giving you an edge in the professional's market.
It also provides you access to education and certification; a valuable knowledge base and other resources that help you improve and advanced your career.
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
INDUSTRY
RECOGNITION
Dedication Towards
Your Profession
ADVANCE
YOUR CAREER
Types of Membership
We have two (2) types of Memberships

Associate Membership
- Be part of the Researchers Virtual Community
- Enjoy deep discounts on e-books and publications
- Members are eligible for free webinar registration (fair-use policy applies)
- Members receive up to a 30% discount on Live Online Training Classes (fair-use policy applies)
- Rapid Learning Bootcamp gives Members up to 50% discounts (fair-use policy applies)
- Free CIRS Online Examination with vouchers (fair-use policy applies)
- Free access to unlimited CIRS Online Practice Exam (fair-use policy applies)
- Free Unlimited Access to several of our Knowledge Network Resources
- Unlimited access to over 10,000 plus "Research Related" Articles and Research Papers.
- Connect with fellow members instantly with access to the member's directory.
- Become part of our Members Directory
- Participate in our Virtual Forums
- Volunteering opportunities for members only with added advantages
- Have your say in association’s policy matters & professional committees upon invitation
- Use of the AOFIRS Associate Members Logo (fair-use policy applies)
- Badges and wallet card for "Associate Membership" are available for download.

Certified Membership
- Associate Members Qualify for Certified Membership after Passing the CIRS Examination.
- All the benefits of Associate Membership
- Greater Professional Recognition
- Preferred "Work References"
- Participation in various committees
- Direct reach to Board of Directors
- Opportunity to work on Research Projects
- Become part of the Exclusive Certified Member Directory
- Use of CERTIFICATION LOGO
- Display CIRS CERTIFICATE
The most compelling reasons for researchers to join the Association
Registration Discount
for Training and Online Events
Members get up to 50% Off discount on Online classes, Bootcamp, and Webinar registration to stay on top of new trends, learn the most recent best practices, and network with professionals from all over the world.
Membership Card &
Authorized Use Of Logo
Get an exclusive Membership Card with a Membership No. and a digitized members data barcode, as well as the Associate Member Professional Designation. Members can also use the "Association Membership Logo" to demonstrate their professional affiliation with us.
Enjoy deep discounts on
e-books and publications
Members can save up to 20% on e-books, and a variety of other reference e-publications. as well as unlimited access to the CIRS Online Practice Exam.
Gain Unlimited Access to our Knowledge Resources
Members have access to internal "Knowledge-base" and reference material for online research downloadable publications of Reference Directories.
3 Steps to Becoming an Associate Member
Fill out a membership registration form with your personal and professional information. The system generates a unique password and user ID that will serve as your portal to the many services we provide.
Step 1 - Get Registered
This form requires information in 5 parts.
- Your Personal Information
- Business and Professional Information
- Education Information
- Experience & Work Background
- Billing Information
Step 2 - Make Payment
Membership Fee US$120
- PayPal
- VISA
- Visa Debit
- Western Union
Follow the simple payment process to complete your registration process.
Step 3 - Check your Email
- You will immediately be notified access instructions via email.
- You will be sent a confirmation email and payment receipt for your order.
- On completing the registration process, you will get your MEMBERSHIP ID, access to MEMBER privileges.
FAQs About Membership
- Association of Internet Research Specialists membership highlights your recognizing that Internet Research is an acquired skill when performing serious research. For many, that are already in the field of Knowledge Management, Information Analysis and Professional Research, their membership shows a higher level of dedication towards improving on Digital Media Research Skills.
- Membership comes with many benefits. Members Discounts on E-Shop Products, Education Material, Webinars, Seminars, Live Classes, Examination Vouchers, you will have full access to our Knowledge Base that increases your subject knowledge of Internet Search Techniques, Search Engines Technology and Internet Laws. A member can view, submit and share articles, links, and video files. A member's forum serves to share and exchange information, ideas, solve industry problems and highlight industry issues.
- If you recognize the complexities of finding just the right information with Internet Search and like to learn more about the subject in a structured manner, then, your membership is just the right step to get you going.
What Our Members are Saying?
I am a Certified Internet Research Specialist. The courses I took were very extensive and well-structured in terms of curriculum; they covered a lot of ground in ensuring that anyone who does professional research has a thorough understanding of search engines. I am not a technical person, but I have used research in a variety of aspects of my profession. The CIRS course helped me understand how search engines work, how they are configured, and what we need to do to get the information we need. This is a science in and of itself. Yes, I am more confident in using the Internet for my information needs.
The association is an excellent resource for locating online information in your area. Internet searching has become a skill that I needed to learn as part of my ongoing research. I work as a journalist and provide research assistance to my employer on occasion. I've fallen in love with the Association group because of what they provide for people like me. They have a lot of information on their website for searching for information on the Internet. I visit them religiously every single day, especially to read the articles they compile on a daily basis.
I enrolled in the CIRS course to obtain credentials that will assist me in obtaining freelance research work. I assumed that because I assumed I knew everything there was to know about doing Internet research, I didn't need to learn anything else and only needed a certificate. I was wrong in my assumptions, and I discovered how naive I was about a lot of things I didn't know before. Anyone who thinks they know how to conduct research on the Internet without proper training is in for a surprise. Taking the CIRS course is a skill that everyone should have.
I chose to become CIRS Certified because I am proud to be a Certified Internet Research Specialist and wanted to show the rest of the world how much I enjoy my job. I've accomplished a lot in my career, and I wanted to take it to the next level. Aside from that, I've recently seen a lot of job postings for Research Analysts that require CIRS certification. I believe this is the positive path our profession is taking, and I want to be a part of it.