Scottish Independence Referendum

This project seeks to provide evidence to inform scholarly research and public understanding of the causes and consequences of attitudes towards Scottish independence and the devolution of powers from Westminster to national or regional bodies.

To achieve this it will extend the remit of the internet panel elements of the British Election Study to provide panel data in the period leading up to and after the Scottish referendum including, but not limited to, a boosted sample size for Scotland and Wales.

This project seeks to provide mutual benefits to the Future of Scotland/UK initiative and to the British Election Study by extending the period covered, the content and the size of the Internet panel study in England, Scotland and Wales.

The survey would include a full panel (including a substantial Scottish boost) in January 2014, June 2014 and September 2014 (post referendum) and would continue to include relevant follow up questions to the sample in the 2015 pre/campaign/post-election waves and then in 2016 (local elections and Scottish Elections) and finally in 2017.

The proposal will link to the Future of the UK and Scotland initiative, but does not extend to Northern Ireland, as this is outside the remit of the original British Election Study award.

Project website

• British Election Study 2015

Funder

• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

Grant amount

£333,000

Manchester people

• Professor Ed Fieldhouse
• Professor Jane Green
• Professor Hermann Schmitt
• Kathryn Simpson
• Professor Rachel Gibson

Affiliates and partners

• Professor Geoffrey Evans
• Professor Cees van der Eijk
• Jonathan Mellon
• Professor John Curtice