Study title

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

 
The British Election Study, 2005: Internet Rolling Campaign Panel Data and British Parliamentary Constituency Database comprises the four-wave panel rolling campaign data cross-section surveys gathered by internet survey before and after the 2005 general election. After the post-election survey, a 'one year out' internet follow-up survey was also conducted during summer 2006 with respondents who had agreed to be recontacted.

In a 'first of its kind' experiment in a national election study, the BES team conducted a survey mode comparison between the face-to-face BES 2005 survey (held under SN 5494) and the internet survey. This experiment was designed to provide a sampling frame comparison between a conventional sample and internet users drawn from a probability sample. The study also contains internet experiments aimed at developing better survey measures (e.g. feedback to respondents) and ways of assessing media effects. See documentation for further details.

This study also contains the British Parliamentary Constituency Database (covering 1992-2005), plus the constituency-level party 2005 general election campaign spending data.

Main Topics:

Topics covered include electoral and political issues, party identification and support, party positions on taxation and expenditure, voting intentions and behaviour, opinions of party leaders, trust in British institutions, contact with local politicians, attitudes to the European Union, attitudes to the Iraq war, governance of Britain since the 2005 election, social trust, beliefs and values, social and political attitudes, and demographic characteristics such as age, gender and social class.