Data for Scotland: reshaping the nation through population statistics

This paper is concerned with the ninth and only non-thematic responsibility of the Scottish Parliament — the need to underpin parliamentary decision-making and debate with policy-oriented research and statistical evidence. Developments in the research support infrastructure which are designed to meet data needs for the devolved Scotland are described. It is instructive to comprehend these initiatives within the broader context of on-going contestations over Scotland's identity. It is argued that the consequences of how Scotland's research base is developed may be as significant for the future of Scotland as any socio-economic policy intervention that may result from interpretation of Scottish Household Survey data.