Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, 1999

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Scottish Social Attitudes (SSA) survey was launched by ScotCen Social Research (formerly the Scottish Centre for Social Research) in 1999, following the advent of devolution. Based on annual rounds of interviews of between 1,200 to 1,500 people drawn using probability sampling (based on a stratified, clustered sample), it aims to facilitate the study of public opinion and inform the development of public policy in Scotland, similar to the British Social Attitudes (BSA) series (held at the Archive under GN 33168). The SSA survey has been conducted annually each year since 1999, with the exception of 2008. The survey has a modular structure. In any one year it typically contains three to five modules, each containing 40 questions. Funding for its first two years came from the Economic and Social Research Council, while from 2001 onwards different bodies have funded individual modules each year. These bodies have included the Economic and Social Research Council, the Scottish Government and various charitable and grant awarding bodies, such as the Nuffield Foundation and Leverhulme Trust. Further information on the SSA and links to publications may be found on the ScotCen Social Research Scottish Social Attitudes webpages. Main Topics:The file contains data from 1,482 respondents. The data includes: responses to the main interview, data from a self-completion questionnaire covering the new electoral system, and geographic information. Standard measures Left-right scale: FairShar, RichLaw, TUNtNeed, PrivEnt, PublcOwn, GovResp1. Libertarian-authoritarian scale: TradVals, Censor, PubMeet, GaySex, Tolerant, BanParty. Scottish nationalism scale: SWLearn, SWLiv, SWAshmd, SWCrit, SWProud

Welsh Assembly Election Study, 1999

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.This survey was a post-election study of the first election to the Welsh National Assembly in 1999. It was designed in the tradition of British General Election Studies and in close conjunction with the 1999 'Scottish Social Attitudes/Scottish Parliamentary Election Study' (held under SN:4346). The questionnaire covers mainly political behaviour and attitudes, together with a thorough classification section. A separate module of questions dealing with the new electoral systems was fielded in a self-completion booklet to face-to-face respondents. The survey incorporated a methodological experiment to assess the feasibility of conducting election studies on the telephone in Britain. The sample is therefore made up of three sample types: Sample A: a clustered sample, selected from the Postcode Address File (PAF) and interviewed face-to-face using laptop computers. Sample B: selected using Random Digit Dialling (RDD) and interviewed over the telephone. Sample C: a clustered sample selected from PAF and interviewed over the telephone. Later Welsh election/Assembly election studies were conducted in 2001 and 2003 under the Wales Life and Times survey series programme (see under study numbers 4546 and 5052). An earlier study of the 1979 general election in Wales is held under SN:1591.Main Topics:The file contains data from 1,256 respondents of which 522 were interviewed face-to-face and 734 on the telephone. Of those interviewed on the telephone, 399 were selected via PAF, 330 via RDD, and 5 were interviewed in Welsh. Standard measures Left-right scale: FairShar, RichLaw, TUNtNeed, PrivEnt, PublcOwn, GovResp1. Libertarian-authoritarian scale: TradVals, Censor, PubMeet, GaySex, Tolerant, BanParty. Welsh nationalism scale: SWLearn, SWLiv, SWAshmd, SWCrit, SWProud