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 2011 survey was the 12th wave in the series. The sample included a boost of addresses in remote and rural parts of Scotland.

Main Topics:

The 2011 SSA contained modules of questions on:Government and public services in Scotland (funded by the Scottish Government 2004-2007 and again in 2009-2011);Constitutional change (funded by the Nuffield Foundation);National identity and the 2011 Scottish Elections (funded by the Leverhulme Trust and undertaken in collaboration with Frank Bechhofer and David McCrone at the University of Edinburgh);In addition, it included a small number of questions on the Scottish Election, funded by the University of Manchester).Standard Measures The questionnaires contained two scales developed by researchers involved in the BSA and the British Election Study (BES) series (held at the Archive under GN 33066); 'libertarian/authoritarian' and 'left/right'. See documentation for further details.

Multi-stage stratified random sample

The self-completion questionnaire was administered by Computer Assisted Self Interviewing (CASI) during the face-to-face interview.

Face-to-face interview

Self-completion