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Title:
Welsh Assembly Election Study, 1999
(WAES)

Subject Categories:
Political behaviour and attitudes - Politics

Depositor(s):
National Centre for Social Research

Principal Investigator(s):
Jones, R. Wyn, University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Department of International Politics. Institute of Welsh Politics
National Centre for Social Research
Heath, A., University of Oxford. Nuffield College
Seyd, B., University College London. School of Public Policy. Constitution Unit
Curtice, J.K., University of Strathclyde. Department of Politics

Data Collector(s):
National Centre for Social Research

Sponsor(s):
Economic and Social Research Council

Grant Number:
Main grant: ESRC R000238070
New Electoral Systems grant: ESRC L327253017

Project Number: P ; 1898/P ; 1907


Other Acknowledgements:
Dr. Richard Wyn Jones, Katarina Thomson of the National Centre for Social Research (Natcen) and Professor Anthony Heath acted as Principal Investigators under the main grant. Mr. Ben Seyd, Alison Park and Katarina Thomson of Natcen and Professor John Curtice acted as Principal Investigators under the 'New Electoral Systems' grant. Dafydd Trystan, Department of Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth; David McCrone, Department of Politics, University of Edinburgh; Peter Lynn and Gerry Nicolaas, National Centre for Social Research. The WAES was conducted jointly by the Institute for Welsh Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth and the Centre for Research into Elections and Social Trends (CREST). CREST is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded Research Centre based jointly at the National Centre for Social Research (formerly SCPR) and the Department of Sociology, University of Oxford. The study was funded by an ESRC grant. The module on the new electoral systems was developed jointly by the Constitution Unit, University College London and CREST and was funded by a separate ESRC grant.

Abstract:
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.

Coverage:
Dates of Fieldwork: May 1999-June 1999
Country: Wales
Spatial Units: (A)Postcode Sectors; (B)Local Authority Areas; (C)Parliamentary Constituencies
Observation Units: Individuals
Kind of Data: Numeric data; Alpha/numeric data; Individual (micro) level

Universe Sampled:
Location of Units of Observation:National
Population:Adults aged 18 years and over resident in Wales during 1999

Methodology:
Time Dimensions: Cross-sectional (one-time) study
Sampling Procedures: Multi-stage stratified random sample
Samples A and C; Sample B was chosen by Random Digit Dialling (RDD)
Number of Units: (A) 900 (target) Sample A;(B) 741 (obtained) Definitely eligible - Sample A;(C) 40 (obtained) Uncertain eligibility - Sample A;(D) 522 (obtained) Sample A;(E) 515 (obtained) Weighted Sample A;(F) 1556 (target) Sample B;(G) 689 (obtained) Definitely eligible - Sample B;(H) 291 (obtained) Uncertain eligibility - Sample B;(I) 330 (obtained) Sample B;(J) 329 (obtained) Weighted Sample B;(K) 1320 (target) Sample C;(L) 807 (obtained) Definitely eligible - Sample C;(M) 328 (obtained) Uncertain eligibility - Sample C;(N) 399 (obtained) Sample C;(O) 404 (obtained) Weighted Sample C
Method of Data Collection: Face-to-face interview; Telephone interview; Self-completion
Weighting: Weighting factor = WTFACTOR

Language(s) of Written Materials:
Study Description: English
Study Documentation: English and Welsh

Access:
Access Conditions: The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage. See terms and conditions for further information.
Availability: ESDS Access and Preservation, UK Data Archive
Contact: Help desk: help@esds.ac.uk

Date of Release:
First Edition: 14 December 2000

Copyright:
Copyright held jointly by University of Wales, Aberystwyth and the Centre for Research into Elections and Social Trends.

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