Scottish Referendum Study 2014
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Social and Political Science
Abstract
In September 2014 Scottish residents aged 16+ will be able to vote in a referendum on independence for Scotland. The referendum offers the possibility of meaningful constitutional change, as well as a key departure in terms of the electoral franchise by extending the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds. We will conduct an online survey before the referendum to identify the factors that will influence vote intention and likelihood of voting and two further surveys after the referendum to identify whether and why people voted the way they did. This will be a panel study, using the same respondents before and after so that we can determine how intentions translate into behaviour, and see how expectations influence reactions to the referendum result.
We will explore whether and how individuals decide to vote and how these processes might differ from those in elections at the Scottish or UK level. We will focus on the impact of the campaign itself and how campaign engagement might interact with the timing of vote decisions, knowledge of and perceived uncertainty about different constitutional options. Part of this involves describing fundamental facts about the nature of public opinion in Scotland. This includes a comprehensive assessment of preferences for different constitutional options in Scotland. The referendum offers a binary choice but polling has long demonstrated that the perceived 'middle ground' attracts most voters. We will explore the relationships among preferences for different constitutional options as well as knowledge of what distinguishes these options from each other. This will allow us to identify the structure, consistency and determinants of preferences about constitutional options in Scotland. Throughout we will locate Scottish findings within a comparative context, drawing on data and research from other constitutional referendums.
Our specific research questions stem from different theories of voting behaviour in elections and referendums. They focus on the impact of uncertainty, on the reaction of those who backed the losing side, on the extent to which constitutional change is about policy or identity, on variations in preferences across genders and the unique socialization into electoral participation that this offers to 16 and 17 year olds, many of whom will be unable to vote in the 2015 UK general election.
We are eager to contribute to public debate and facilitate engagement with the research process. To this end we will hold consultation events before the survey begins and will invite academic researchers and secondary students to suggest questions for the survey.
With respect to the communication of findings, one benefit of online research is that it facilitates the quick release of data so that we will be able to contribute to public debate about the referendum result with analysis that identifies the types of voters who backed different options. We will conduct briefing events and produce briefing papers, as well as generate top quality academic research for academic journals and a co-authored book. In addition we will hold several capacity building events to facilitate access to data and data analysis for secondary school and university students.
We will explore whether and how individuals decide to vote and how these processes might differ from those in elections at the Scottish or UK level. We will focus on the impact of the campaign itself and how campaign engagement might interact with the timing of vote decisions, knowledge of and perceived uncertainty about different constitutional options. Part of this involves describing fundamental facts about the nature of public opinion in Scotland. This includes a comprehensive assessment of preferences for different constitutional options in Scotland. The referendum offers a binary choice but polling has long demonstrated that the perceived 'middle ground' attracts most voters. We will explore the relationships among preferences for different constitutional options as well as knowledge of what distinguishes these options from each other. This will allow us to identify the structure, consistency and determinants of preferences about constitutional options in Scotland. Throughout we will locate Scottish findings within a comparative context, drawing on data and research from other constitutional referendums.
Our specific research questions stem from different theories of voting behaviour in elections and referendums. They focus on the impact of uncertainty, on the reaction of those who backed the losing side, on the extent to which constitutional change is about policy or identity, on variations in preferences across genders and the unique socialization into electoral participation that this offers to 16 and 17 year olds, many of whom will be unable to vote in the 2015 UK general election.
We are eager to contribute to public debate and facilitate engagement with the research process. To this end we will hold consultation events before the survey begins and will invite academic researchers and secondary students to suggest questions for the survey.
With respect to the communication of findings, one benefit of online research is that it facilitates the quick release of data so that we will be able to contribute to public debate about the referendum result with analysis that identifies the types of voters who backed different options. We will conduct briefing events and produce briefing papers, as well as generate top quality academic research for academic journals and a co-authored book. In addition we will hold several capacity building events to facilitate access to data and data analysis for secondary school and university students.
Planned Impact
Referendum and election surveys generate insights about public opinion. The impact of these insights - on government policy, on party and candidate strategies, on the media's understanding of voters' thinking - is by nature indirect and diffuse. However, the means of maximising such impact is the same. We have already discussed this proposal with a number of practitioners, policymakers and other impact partners: the campaigning teams; the Electoral Commission Scotland; researchers in the Scottish Government and other non-academic organisations such as the Electoral Reform Society; the mass media, notably the BBC and its Generation 2014 project; and teachers and students of Modern Studies and other subjects bridging the skills gap between social sciences and STEM. The extension of the franchise to 16- and 17-year-olds provides both another set of impact partners and the opportunity to inform policy directly, as various stakeholders assess the impact of this innovation.
As described in detail in the Pathways to Impact document, we would engage these impact partners throughout the project, notably at three key stages:
1. Designing the surveys - In addition to inviting comments from our advisory board on drafts of the survey, we will also engage with impact partners in two ways: first, by an open consultation for all interested parties in which we will invite proposals for questions; second, by two parallel competitions - among researchers and among secondary school students - for small amounts of questionnaire space. In these ways, we will not only capitalise on existing links but forge new ones so as to form a wider network of interested parties.
2. Initial headline findings - The speed of internet surveys means that findings from our pre-referendum survey will be available the day after polling, and that post-referendum findings will follow just days later. These will be circulated to our impact partners and other interested parties via a range of channels: posts on policy blogs, press releases and media appearances, the project website, and social media.
3. Further analysis - In parallel to our scientific outputs, we will produce non-technical briefings on some key issues: the extension of the franchise to those over 16; the efficacy of the referendum in informing the public; where constitutional preferences stand following the referendum; and the referendum's consequences beyond Scotland. These will serve as the basis for two workshops at which our impact partners can discuss the broader implications of our findings.
Capitalising on the extension of the franchise to reach this difficult audience, we will seek a particular impact on first-time voters. We will develop materials based on the SRS, focused particularly but not only on the votes-at-16 issue, that are suitable for use not only in Modern Studies and Politics lessons but also in Maths and Statistics classes. In addition to circulating these materials to teachers, we will also host events of our own that demonstrate the role of our quantitative data in addressing important political questions. We will thereby contribute to wider efforts to boost statistical skills among young people in general, and social science students in particular.
As described in detail in the Pathways to Impact document, we would engage these impact partners throughout the project, notably at three key stages:
1. Designing the surveys - In addition to inviting comments from our advisory board on drafts of the survey, we will also engage with impact partners in two ways: first, by an open consultation for all interested parties in which we will invite proposals for questions; second, by two parallel competitions - among researchers and among secondary school students - for small amounts of questionnaire space. In these ways, we will not only capitalise on existing links but forge new ones so as to form a wider network of interested parties.
2. Initial headline findings - The speed of internet surveys means that findings from our pre-referendum survey will be available the day after polling, and that post-referendum findings will follow just days later. These will be circulated to our impact partners and other interested parties via a range of channels: posts on policy blogs, press releases and media appearances, the project website, and social media.
3. Further analysis - In parallel to our scientific outputs, we will produce non-technical briefings on some key issues: the extension of the franchise to those over 16; the efficacy of the referendum in informing the public; where constitutional preferences stand following the referendum; and the referendum's consequences beyond Scotland. These will serve as the basis for two workshops at which our impact partners can discuss the broader implications of our findings.
Capitalising on the extension of the franchise to reach this difficult audience, we will seek a particular impact on first-time voters. We will develop materials based on the SRS, focused particularly but not only on the votes-at-16 issue, that are suitable for use not only in Modern Studies and Politics lessons but also in Maths and Statistics classes. In addition to circulating these materials to teachers, we will also host events of our own that demonstrate the role of our quantitative data in addressing important political questions. We will thereby contribute to wider efforts to boost statistical skills among young people in general, and social science students in particular.
Organisations
Publications
Henderson A
(2018)
Referendums as Critical Junctures? Scottish Voting in British Elections
in Parliamentary Affairs
Henderson A
Oxford Handbook of Scottish Politics
Henderson A
(2022)
The End of British Politics , chapter in British Politics After Brexit
Henderson Ailsa
(2022)
The Referendum that Changed a Nation: Scottish Voting Behaviour 2014-2019
Henderson, A
(2018)
New Scots: Immigrants in Scotland since 1945
Henderson, A
(2022)
The Referendum that Changed a Nation: Scottish Voting Behaviour 2014-2019
Henderson, A
(2021)
The British General Election of 2019
Henderson, A
Losers' Consent and the 2014 Scottish Referendum
Henderson, A
(2018)
Britain Votes 207
Henderson, A
(2016)
The Emergence of a Democratic Right to Self Determination in Europe
Johns Rob
(2016)
Takeover: Explaining the Extraordinary Rise of the SNP
Johns, R
(2016)
More Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box
Rob Johns
Why Scotland Voted No
Description | The data from our survey have allowed us to establish why certain voters supported independence and why they voted to remain within the UK. We were able to identify the demographic predictors of support for independence as well as the role played by national identity and attitudes to leaders. Older voters were more likely to support the union, as were those with higher incomes and higher levels of education. Among young voters, we find that it was not the very youngest in our dataset but those 25-34 who were most likely to support independence. We have explored the impact of the campaign and specific campaign events. Some of this has focused on the impact of the Vow issued by the leaders of the three main UK parties in the week before the referendum. Our results show that the Vow was not a determining factor for voters. We have also been able to demonstrate that in general voters were happy with the democratic process surrounding the referendum. We have, however, detected unusual patterns in losers' consent, with some evidence that it is the referendum winners rather than the losers who are less satisfied with the way democracy works. We find too that those who perceived there to be a greater credibility gap between the arguments of their preferred side and the other side are happier with democracy. Here we expect that this might relate to the extent to which individuals were invested in the campaign as a deliberative process. We have detected what might be considered surprising results. First, yes and no voters have different perceptions of what happened in the referendum. No voters were largely motivated by trying to get the best of both worlds by Yes voters are convinced that No voters were swayed by the Vow. Yes and No voters likewise have very different assessments of the extent to which the referendum has engineered a flourishing of democratic participation, with Yes voters believing that Scotland has changed and they as individuals will be more engaged. No voters are less convinced that this is the case. Beyond the research findings, we were very successful in disseminating our findings through a variety of events and media. We have conducted over 30 presentations to public events and schools. Our presentations received considerable media attention. While many of our publications are still under submission we have a number that are in print already, including a co-authored monograph by Johns and Mitchell as well as a piece by Rob Johns on the Vow (see publications below). We are 60% through a monograph on voting behaviour in Scotland 2014-2019. |
Exploitation Route | We are continuing to generate publications and have presented several conference papers. These will allow campaign teams to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different campaign strategies. In addition, information about the state of public attitudes in Scotland can help policy makers to identify constitutional changes that reflect popular opinion. The 2014 referendum, 2015 UK General Election and 2016 Scottish Parliament election provide an opportunity to track how and why the partisan identification of voters is changing and to examine the effect of the referendum on the future civic engagement of Scots, including young Scots. We have applied for and received a grant to conduct the 2016 Scottish Election Study. The majority of the SES sample includes SRS respondents, so we are able to track their changing attitudes in real time. To reach a wider audience we have also conducted a MOOC (massive open online course) with colleagues in Cardiff to highlight the ways in which Scottish and Welsh voting behaviour varies. The MOOC interviews and live sessions drew heavily on SRS findings and how we must understand voter preferences in the referendum to understand voter choices in Scotland today. |
Sectors | Government, Democracy and Justice |
URL | http://www.scottishreferendumstudy.com |
Description | We have presented findings from the different waves of our survey to a diverse set of audiences. These have included academics, journalists, policy makers and politicians, secondary school students, teachers and the general public. This includes a mix of invitations to which we have responded, as well as engagements that we have initiated. The international reach includes presentations in Canada, the United States and Germany as well as in Wales, Scotland and England. Findings have been used by journalists to report (in print, on radio and television) about public attitudes in Scotland and by policy makers (in both the Scottish Government and Scotland Office) to structure the terms of their own research projects. |
First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
Sector | Education,Government, Democracy and Justice |
Impact Types | Societal,Policy & public services |
Description | Evidence on to House of Lords Constitution Committee 11 Nov 2015 |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Impact | Evidence on public attitudes about the implications of increased devolved powers and the health of the Union. |
URL | http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/constitution-committee/news... |
Description | Invitations to share research with Scotland Office |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | The Scotland Office have twice sought information from me about the existing state of public attitudes as well as advice in terms of how to conduct future research on attitudes. I provided them with a presentation as well as copies of reports on public opinion in Scotland and the rest of the UK before and after the 2014 independence referendum. |
Description | Scottish Attitudes post devolution: Lecture to Welsh Governance Centre visit to Edinburgh |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | Scottish Attitudes post devolution. Lecture delivered to the Welsh Governance Centre at their visit to the Centre on Constitutional Change in Edinburgh |
Description | Scottish Government talk |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | Seminar with members of the UK Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Impact | Seminar with the committee hosted by the centre on Constitutional Change. 14 March 2016 |
Title | Scottish Referendum Study dataset |
Description | This is a three wave dataset for the Scottish Referendum Study. The data were collected by You Gov during the last four weeks of the referendum campaign, immediately after the 2014 referendum and one year after the referendum. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2015 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | A small subset of the dataset has been used as a teaching dataset in two successive years in quantitative analysis courses at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to completion of the award the dataset will be made available for online analysis (on the SRS website) and lodged with the UK Data Archive. |
Description | "Risk and Attitudes to Constitutional Change". Media Briefing for the Political Studies Association |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | "Risk and Attitudes to Constitutional Change". Media Briefing for the Political Studies Association, London, June |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | "Scottish Attitudes to Constitutional Change After the Referendum" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | "Scottish Attitudes to Constitutional Change After the Referendum". Lecture to Welsh Governance Centre Visit to Edinburgh, December |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | "Scottish Attitudes to Constitutional Change After the Referendum" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | "Scottish Attitudes to Constitutional Change After the Referendum". Lecture to Welsh Governance Centre Visit to Edinburgh, December |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | "The Big Idea" Podcast on the Scottish Referendum, University of Edinburgh |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The Big Idea Podcast on the Scottish Referendum, University of Edinburgh |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | "The Future of Engagement" Roundtable, Holyrood Magazine, Edinburgh |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | "The Future of Engagement" Roundtable, Holyrood Magazine, Edinburgh |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | "The Imagined Electorate: Values, Perceived Boundaries and the Regional Rehabilitation of Political Culture" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | "The Imagined Electorate: Values, Perceived Boundaries and the Regional Rehabilitation of Political Culture" Inaugural Lecture, Edinburgh, December |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Appearance on the 'Scottish TV' general election show |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Appearance on the 'Scottish TV' general election show to analyse the outcome of the 2015 General election during the election night |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | https://metavideos.com/video/3279236/watch-ailsa-henderson-talk-about-potential-sea-change-in |
Description | Appearance on the BBC radio Scotland |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Appearance on BBC radio Scotland to comment the outcome of the 2015 General election |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | British Politics After Brexit |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Panel organised by UK in a Changing Europe to discuss British Politics After Brexit. My contribution drew on data from the Scottish Referndum and Scottish Election Studies |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Devolved Elections |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Online panel organised by UK in a Changing Europe focussing on the May 2021 devolved elections |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Discussion with Scottish Government staff re research findings |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | As a result of research dissemination available on the web (online reports, youtube videos of presentations) I was invited by Ewan Crawford at the Scottish Government to discuss ourresearch findings, specifically in terms of Scottish voting behaviour and predictors of support for different parties and for independence. This helped to clarify the role of risk and national identity as predictors of Yes support. Ewan has requested copies of our various reports, presentations and draft articles. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Festival of Politics roundtable. "Is Polling Good for Democracy?" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | I was invited to present research findings as part of a Festival of Politics roundtable Is Polling Good for Democracy. Other participants included Mandy Rhodes (Holyrood Magazine), Mark Diffley (Ipsos Mori), Republican pollster Robert Moran (Brunswick Group) and Democratic pollster Jason Boxt (Glover Park Group). The audience included 100+ members of the public as well as journalists. The roundtable discussion was followed by a Q&A session. My participation involved summarising the findings of various studies and highlighting what they tell us about poll awareness but also how opinion surveys help to outline nuanced perceptions among the electorate (in terms of why they vote they way they do in different contexts). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://festivalofpolitics.scot/events/is-polling-good-for-democracy/ |
Description | Interview at the BBC Scotland |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview at the 'Sunday Politics' show in BBC Scotland to talk about public opinion and new devolved powers in Scotland |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Interview at the Election 2015 MOOC |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Interview at the Election 2015 MOOC organized by the University of Edinburgh on Understanding the UK general election |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGIvbJw1Bk4 |
Description | Invited presentation "Migration, Diversity and Constitutional Attitudes" to Scotland's Diasporas in Comparative International Perspective |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Provided a presentation on how immigrants to Scotland voted (in the 2014 referendum and in elections generally) to 100+ practitioners involved in various immigrant organisations (eg immigrant resettlement, immigrant research, Scottish Refugee Council etc), academics, politicians and general public. The presentation was followed by questions and discussion. The paper has been invited for inclusion in an edited volume. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/projects?ref=ES/L000377/1 |
Description | Keynote Lecture "UK Attitudes to Devolution" Cabinet Office conference on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations (London) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Around 200 civil servants from various UK government departments. Lecture was followed by questions and answers. Has led to subsequent invitations to specific UK government departments. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Meeting with Electoral Commission on Democratic Engagement of Young People |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The Electoral Commission organised a workshop on Democratic Engagement of young people to discuss research findings about youth engagement and best practice in terms of future developments. Research discussed included findings from both the Scottish Referendum Study and Scottish Election Study. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Podcast for Polling Matters |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | 30 minute podcast on polling and survey data from SRS and SES on attitudes to Scottish independence. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Presentation of data to SNP party conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Presentation of ESRC-funded research data to fringe event at SNP party conference, March 2017. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/thesnp/pages/3923/attachments/original/1489483076/SNP_Spring_C... |
Description | Presentation on "Risk and Attitudes to Constitutional Change" at the Festival of Politics |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presentation on "Risk and Attitudes to Constitutional Change" at the Festival of Politics, Edinburgh, August |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentation on "Risk, Attitudes to Constitutional Change and the Independence Referendum in Scotland" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation on "Risk, Attitudes to Constitutional Change and the Independence Referendum in Scotland" delivered at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, Montreal, Canada (October) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentation on "Risk, Attitudes to Constitutional Change and the Scottish Independence Referendum" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation on "Risk, Attitudes to Constitutional Change and the Scottish Independence Referendum" delivered at the University of Cardiff, Cardiff, November |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentation on Scottish attitudes post-Brexit to UK Government Minister and civil servants |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Presented data on Scottish attitudes to indyref and Brexit to UK government minister, 2nd permanent secretary of Cabinet Office and Director of Scotland Office as well as two other civil servants. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Presentation to Musselburgh Grammar (James Mitchell) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | James Mitchell presented SRS findings to secondary school students, teachers and parents at Musselburgh Grammar. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentation to North Berwick HS (James Mitchell) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | James Mitchell presented SRS findings to secondary school students, teachers and parents at North Berwick HS. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentation to Ross HS (James Mitchell) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | James Mitchell presented SRS findings to secondary school students, teachers and parents at Ross HS. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentation to civil servants in HMTreasury |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Presentation on Scottish attitudes to indyref and Brexit which sparked questions and discussion afterwards as well as follow-up requests for further meetings. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Presentation to secondary school students, Dunbar Grammar (James Mitchell) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | James Mitchell presented SRS findings to secondary school students, teachers and parents at Dunbar Grammar. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentation to secondary school students, George Watson's School, Edinburgh |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | I was invited to present findings from opinion surveys to students at staff at George Watson's School in Edinburgh. The school teachers have asked for further updates as well as copies of reports and we are in discussions about how to encourage students to suggest questionnaire items for future surveys. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Presentation, Preston Lodge HS (James Mitchell) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | James Mitchell presented SRS findings to secondary school students, teachers and parents at Preston Lodge HS. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Presentations to Scottish Government, multiple, 2014-2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | I have been invited six times to present research to civil servants working in the Scottish Government. These were primarily organised by Nuala Gormley, Strategic Analysis, Scottish Government. In these presentations I outlined the latest findings from public opinion work related to constitutional attitudes. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015 |
Description | Quoted in Sunday Herald news analysis article - 'You know what? I've made up my mind. This advert is rubbish.' 7 Sept 2014 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Following an interview with Vicky Allan, a journalist on the Sunday Herald, I was quoted in an article about the impact of a now notorious No campaign referendum broadcast on voters. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13178690.You_know_what__I_ve_made_up_my_mind__This_advert_is_r... |
Description | Quoted in a Guardian article about the impact that voters' attitudes to risk was having on their decision in the independence referendum - 9 September 2014 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | The journalist Karen McVeigh picked up on the Risk and Attitudes to Constitutional Change report published the preceding month and followed up with an interview, which was subsequently quoted in an article. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/08/scotland-future-referendum-excitement |
Description | Research quoted in Guardian article on Tom Devine's decision to support independence - 16 Sept 2014 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Tom Devine's announcement that he was supporting Scottish independence provoked considerable media interest, most particularly his claim about Scottish difference. This article quoted the Myth of a Meritocratic Scotland report in response to that suggestion. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/15/rational-case-scotland-tom-devine-diverging-cultures... |
Description | Research quoted in the Spectator magazine - 8 September 2014 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Research on the myth of a differing attitudes towards equality in Scotland and England used to inform an article in the Spectator. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/09/the-myth-of-meritocratic-scotland/ |
Description | Talk "Why Scotland Voted No" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk "Why Scotland Voted No" delivered at the "What Next for Scotland" Conference within the "Future of the UK and Scotland" programme in Edinburgh, September |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Transatlantic Seminar: The Scottish Question |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talk delivered at the Transatlantic Seminar on the 27 February on "The Scottish Question" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |