Scottish Climate Survey: technical report 2024 to 2025

Overview of methodology

The survey was conducted using a push-to-web methodology. This comprised a sequential mixed-mode approach in which respondents are first asked to complete an online survey. Non-respondents are then followed up on using a postal questionnaire at the third mailing. The rationale behind this methodology is that it brings the benefits of encouraging online survey completion while avoiding the exclusion of those who do not have access to the internet and/or have low levels of digital literacy.

In this study, the methodology consisted of a series of three mailings sent to selected households (see section 4 for sample design information). The second and third mailings were only sent to households who had not responded to the survey since the previous mailing. The schedule is outlined below:

• Mailing 1: Initial invitation letter (mailed 25th October 2024)
• Mailing 2: First reminder postcard (mailed 8th November 2024)
• Mailing 3: Second reminder letter and postal questionnaire (mailed 27th November 2024).

The first mailing invited recipients to complete the survey online. The letter invited two adults (aged 16+) from each household to participate. Each respondent was provided with a unique passcode allowing them to complete the questionnaire on the survey website. Those who did not complete the survey following receipt of the initial invitation letter were sent a reminder postcard. In the third mailing, a reminder letter was sent alongside a copy of the postal version of the questionnaire and a prepaid return envelope. Each mailing was separated by an interval of approximately two weeks.