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.
The 2003 survey was the fifth wave in the series. It was designed in close conjunction with the 2003 BSA survey, though it had a number of distinct Scottish modules. For the second time in the series the sample included a boost of addresses in remote and rural parts of Scotland. Some of the questions from the 2003 survey, on Muslim people living in Scotland, also formed part of a further mixed methods study, the Scottish Minorities Survey, 2003-2004, which is held at the UKDA under SN 5344. As the data are not reproduced in the other study, users of 5344 are advised to order the 2003 SSA and the 2003 BSA (held under SN 5235).
Main Topics:
The dataset includes responses to the main interview questionnaire, responses to the self-completion questionnaire and geographic information. The questionnaires covered access to local services, election issues, devolution, English people and Muslim people living in Scotland as well as a comprehensive classification section. Standard Measures The questionnaires contain two scales developed by researchers involved in the British Social Attitudes Surveys and British Election Study (BES) series (held at the UK Data Archive under GN: 33066). These are 'libertarian/authoritarian' and 'left/right'. For further details, see the published technical report.
Multi-stage stratified random sample
Face-to-face interview
Self-completion
