The underlying study: "Experimental evidence of the effects of large language models versus web search on depth of learning" academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar... "participants reported developing shallower knowledge from LLM summaries even when the results were augmented by...web links" vs. search

"I am willing to accept slower economic growth in Canada if it means greater economic independence from the United States" 🟢 Agree: 70% 🔴 Disagree: 19% Read it here: canadianpolling.substack.com/p/budget-wee...

Newly out from James Mitchell and me, explaining the 2024 UKGE in Scotland @edinburghpir.bsky.social academic.oup.com/pa/article-a... Email me if you want access and can't get it via your institution

New SES methodology incoming. Flawless.

Indeed. While often ignoring the devolved elections in May, which *will* lead to government formation Both UK Lab and UK Cons making life difficult for their devolved parties by fighting the next UKGE 4 years early

Advice for the age

Latest ITV BarnCymru 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 poll confirms trend seen over last 6 months - neck and neck race between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK for largest party, with Labour falling to even more distant third. Evidence growing of distinct realignment in Wales 🧵

158. AP-GfK, 2009: "If you had to choose, would you prefer to attend a wedding that served champagne and caviar, wine and chicken breasts, or beer and pigs in a blanket?"

153. Gallup/CNN/USA Today, 1998: "For the next question, assume that the Seinfeld characters were real people. Aside from how funny you think they are, would you generally consider them to be likeable people or annoying people?"

Humanities, arts and social sciences degrees are disappearing in many UK regions. With more young people than ever studying close to home, course cuts are narrowing their choices at university. @timeshighered.bsky.social covers our 'Cold Spots' report today. Read more at https://bit.ly/46e3wOy

Those who say the Western provinces should join the United States: 🔴 MB: 6% 🔴 AB: 6% 🔴 BC: 4% 🔴 SK: 3% Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/canadian...

Department of Offense

Featuring @scotvoting.bsky.social data and our recent blog You can read it, and other great SES analysis, here: scottishelections.ac.uk/category/blog/

Lovely use of the phrase "constitutional Tetris" in explaining why lack of effective devolved (and local?) democracy in England enables Farage to stir up xenophobia

Same is visible in SQA data (which admittedly is begging out for control vars like course choice) Large gap at Nat5 Visible gap at Highers Gone by Adv Highers - pity we don't use those for uni entrance as much www.itv.com/news/2025-08...

I grew up near the route of the old Aberdeen-Ellon-Fraserburgh railway - it would have made my life a lot easier. Freight was still using the line after oil was struck, and towns mushroomed. Maybe a pipe dream, but this would be great for the region. www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/politics/...

I think it's really nice they do this but this is my fairly regular request that someone in the PSA puts the Scottish Higher results day in the diary and creates an equivalent post. We need Scottish students to study politics as well.

❗Calling all social scientists ❗ 🔎 Want your work to get noticed by non-academic audiences? Our blog page provides clear and insightful analysis on topical issues, especially UK-EU relations🇬🇧🇪🇺 Got an idea? Send it to [email protected] Check out our latest blogs 👉 ukandeu.ac.uk/analysis/blo...

A new iPhone update threatens to upend public opinion research, particularly state and local polls - Op-ed from pollster Patrick Ruffini www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

More SQA data Attainment gap for girls and boys %A at National 5 Girls 43.6 Boys 34.7 %A at Higher Girls 34.1 Boys 27.0 %A at Adv Higher Girls 31.6 Boys 31.1 www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/114507.h...

Happy SQA results day (To me, who has 7 more to enjoy 🥳🫠) Amidst the stats released re #s going to Sc uni, might also be worth reporting Sc clearing degrees available to those from Sc schools vs rUK on UCAS site Strathclyde Sc students 0 RUK students 223 degrees available via clearing. Or ...

Sir Robert Chote, who has been chair since June 2022, announced his resignation last month www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

There it is: call for papers, inaugural conference of @epssnet.bsky.social in Belfast, 2026. Please send your best work and support this new important initiative! epssnet.org/belfast-2026/

Quick reminder of this time limited offer on the latest "Nuffield" study, which will be out in the autumn - 25% off with Waterstones online until tomorrow

Political Science at Western University, Canada is searching for three tenure track assistant professors. There are two ads, one in International Politics (IR or comparative) and one in Comparative or Canadian. Ads are here: www.uwo.ca/facultyrelat...

Don’t miss our very own SPS academics taking part in this year’s Festival of Politics. Nida Alahmad - Peace in the Middle East? Leah McCabe - The rise of misogyny Hayley Bennett - Holyrood 2026 the big issues Benjamin Martill - How safe is Europe? www.festivalofpolitics.scot

Understanding your members is vital - but many organisations struggle to know what data to collect or what to ask Our new report, funded by @acadsocsciences.bsky.social sciences.bsky.social & ESRC, shares best practice to help membership bodies build a clearer, data-driven picture

Funding announcement comes as MPs warn of “severe challenges” faced by research and innovation sector www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

I think @cbreton.bsky.social is understating how useful and even important this image from the resentment index is. I guess the succinct way to summarize it is: this explains a lot.

The piece bemoans that polls include the views of people the author doesn't think much of. But whether they, or I, agree with people doesn't take away their voice, their vote or their citizenship. Polls are a democratic leveller, far preferable to elitism of thinking only some views should count.

🤔 What's the point of democratic innovation? Can it address crurrent crises and build democracies for the future? 💡In this new article @adrianbua.bsky.social and I argue that the field needs to strengthen its change-making orientation and capacity. Open access 👉🏼 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

For folks newly interested in 16 year olds voting can I recommend years of scholarship by @eichhornjan.bsky.social in Scottish setting Also, in 2014 indyref the risk survey showed youngest members of electorate were our ideal deliberative citizens, most open minded in their info sources

"The Potato Eight". 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔 These "glamour girls" of the Potato Marketing Board toured British seaside resorts in summer 1939 to promote eating potatoes as a route to health and efficiency and "overturn old fashioned notions about the potato being taboo for the woman who wants to keep her figure" 🤸

A beautiful, beautiful refutation of a very strange claim about #farright voting in #Germany that can 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 serve as a methodological primer

🖥️New on the Data Impact blog 🖥️ Annie Flynn from @royalstatsoc.bsky.social introduces the launch of a new open access journal, RSS: Data Science and AI, and the relaunch of the digital platform Real World Data Science. blog.ukdataservice.ac.uk/a-steadying-...

THIS!!!!!

One of the reasons I started the Minute; local media sales + election turnout have both fallen in parallel for two decades in Edinburgh. The more people are aware of who’s in power, how their/our tax money is spent, I hope the more likely they will be to vote. Simple as that. Start local etc

This extraordinarily long and detailed review, in Foreign Policy, of the movie Heads of State, about a UK Prime Minister and a US President in an Air Force One hijacking heist, somehow does not mention that one of the two is not actually a head of state foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/04/h...

Nah, the best Friday nights are when you crack open a new spreadsheet and fill it full of lovely crosstab data.

It's not racist to believe in English identity Identities are subjective But it's exclusive to police the boundaries of who gets to feel English It's racist to root English identity in race And it's ahistorical to believe English id was always constructed this way www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07...

Has there been an 'Elbows up' effect on national identity in Canada? Maybe 85%+ of Canadians attached to Canada - same as before - but *very attached* up from about half to high 50s Report link 2nd item in thread from @parkinac.bsky.social

🌍 European Political Science Society is officially launched (EPSS)! 🗓️ June 26, 2025 📍EPSS is a not-for-profit & member-led association for political science in Europe 👉 Visit us: epssnet.org Some updates 👇🏽 🧵

🔍 Are you an early career behavioural researcher? Our Accelerator proposals offer up to £50,000 for innovative projects! 💡 Perfect for kickstarting your research journey. Applications open July 1st—closing August 12th, 2025. Get ready to apply! #ECR #Innovation #BRUKFunding

6. Will there be two conferences in 2026? EPSS will hold its inaugural conference in Belfast. It's the first major step toward a democratic, nonprofit future for European political science. Stay in the loop: [email protected] 6/

The line has moved. We're actually at 'are sandals/flipflops at presentations acceptable' Qtwtain, never

📢 Applications are now open for NatCen’s Social Research Apprenticeship Learn more and apply: natcen.ac.uk/news/social-... Deadline: 7th July 2025 #Hiring #Apprenticeship

The breakdowns by party suggest if you want to receive compliments date a Labour supporter not a Reform supporter (suspect that washes out once you control for age).

[colleague]: hey rob, I hope this email finds you well - just wanted to check how you're getting on with the first draft how your email finds me:

What are impact indicators, and why are they important in research and evaluation? In this episode, we unpack how impact indicators help measure the broader effects of a project, policy, or research. Watch it here: youtu.be/FXUwRrLomRQ #TerminologyTuesday #researchimpact #impactindicators