Choice experiment protocols for the project "Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy"

1 Choice experiment protocols M4.1.1 Milestone for the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs”, March 2023 Simone Piras, Gurneet Kapour, Kuangheng Li, Tareq Mzek Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Department, The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen. Introduction and research objectives This document presents the protocols for running discrete choice experiments (DCE) in the framework of Activity A4.1 “Understanding behavioural factors” of the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs”. DCEs are a method to quantitively elicit preferences towards certain typologies of goods or services (e.g., food products, ways of transport). 1 In particular, the DCEs developed in this task aim to test the preferences of rural dwellers (and, in some instances, also of urban dwellers) for different ways of transport, including public transport; for food products with different characteristics, namely vegetables which could be produced locally; and for different rural (or urban) localities as potential places of residence. Knowing people’s preferences on these matters could help promote, respectively, sustainable and affordable rural transport, localised rural food systems, and more resilient rural population levels by ensuring that policy incentives align with, and build on, such preferences. In a DCE survey, respondents are asked to look at so called “cards”, i.e., images where two or more options (in our case: ways of transport, vegetable boxes, and localities, respectively) are described by sets of characteristics (“attributes”; e.g., travel time) assuming values (“levels”; e.g., 15 minutes or 30 minutes) which can differ for different options. Respondents express their preferences by selecting one of the options, which could also include neither of them, or the respondents’ current conditions (status quo). The preferences elicited through DCEs are called “stated preferences”, since there is no incentivisation, i.e., respondents’ choices do not have real financial consequence for them. DCE data can be used to calculate coefficients whose signs and relative value inform us of whether an attribute is attracting or repulsing, and the relative importance of the various attributes. DCE data can also be used to estimate respondents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the attributes in monetary terms even if there is no separate market for an attribute itself. Furthermore, in our project, the DCEs’ results will be used to calibrate an agent-based model (ABM) of Scotland’s rural economy and communities. Namely, the DCE data will allow us to derive rules of behaviours for the agents (e.g., their relocation decisions across rural Scotland), and simulate future scenarios that are more in line with what rural dwellers would do in a reallife situation. Process of preparing the DCE designs and the surveys The timeline of the process towards the preparation of the protocols, the dissemination of the DCE questionnaires, and the analysis of the results is illustrated in Table 1 below. Although A4.1 started officially in October 2022, the process of preparing the protocols kicked-off already in March 2022 through a review of the DCE literature on transport, local food, migration, digitalisation, and housing. The scientific articles identified were screened based on their titles and abstracts, 1 Louviere, J.J., Hensher, D.A., & Swait, J.D. (2000). Stated Choice Methods: Analysis and Applications, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2 and the subsets of articles retained were used to identify useful elements for creating the DCEs (among others, the attributes and their levels, sample size, piloting strategies). For conciseness, the detailed results of the literature review are not presented here, but they have informed the final protocols includes as Annexes. Based on these results, the “experimental team” elaborated preliminary research ideas, which were sent to the teams running a Living Lab (LL) on the same topic. Indeed, the LL teams hold specific expertise on the topics, and were identifying stakeholders for participatory activities which could provide additional insights. After analysing the existing literature, the experimental team decided not to propose a separate DCE about digitalisation but to treat “digital connectivity” as an attribute in a DCE about migration to different rural localities. Kick-off meetings with the LL teams were held in November-December 2022 to discuss the research ideas. These meetings allowed to select more specific research questions, reduce the number of potential attributes and their levels, and identify potential sampling strategies. It was also decided not to run a separate DCE on housing but to include housing-related questions within the complementary questionnaire to the DCE on “migration” (later renamed “people’s movement” to avoid confusion with international migration). The notes of the meetings were shared with the LL teams and discussed until reaching a consensus about the issues above (primarily the attributes, their levels, and the sampling strategy, including the organisation of focus groups to discuss the results). These aspect are presented in the sections below. Based on the consensus reached, the experimental team prepared draft versions of the DCE questionnaires, which were reviewed both by the LL teams and by the agent-based modellers, to ensure that the information collected benefitted the whole project. Once final drafts of the questionnaires were agreed upon at the end of February, the experimental team developed the full experimental design, i.e., prepared the choice cards to be embedded in the questionnaires. The design, which is the core of this deliverable, entails: (1) defining utility functions for each of the options to be shown in the cards, with the attributes as covariates; (2) assigning priors to the coefficients based on the literature or our own knowledge of the topic; (3) coding the utility functions in an appropriate software and run the code to obtain the design proper, i.e., a list of cards with the levels to be assigned to each of the attributes in each of the options; (4) preparing images for illustrating the attributes in the cards; (5) embedding these images in Word tables that will be turned into images, i.e., the card proper. To generate the design, we used the software Ngene, developed exactly for choice modelling. More details about the designs (all D-efficient) 2 are provided in the sections below, while examples of cards for each of the three choice experiments are embedded in the questionnaires in the Annexes. Using the provisional Qualtrics weblinks provided below, it is possible to visualise all the cards, bearing in mind that they have been divided into blocks, i.e., each respondent will only see a subset of them, randomly allocated: this allows to test larger sets of cards (36 in the case of food and people’s movement, 72 for rural transport). Besides this, a relevant innovation is the inclusion in our surveys of well-established questions to measure psychological constructs, namely: materialism, self-expression, risk-aversion, and altruism. Indeed, we assume that people’s choices are significantly affected by such aspects (e.g., materialism can explain willingness to adopt sustainable transport practices) and their omission may result in biased estimates. As soon as ready and with the design embedded, the DCE questionnaires were submitted for ethics review by the Research Ethics Committee (REC) of the James Hutton Institute. In parallel, the surveys 2 The name of the design refers to the optimality criterion adopted. In a D-efficient design, which is the state-ofthe-art in DCEs, the determinant D of the information matrix |X'X| is maximised in order to minimise the generalised variance of the parameter estimates for a pre-specified model. The model is “pre-specified” inasmuch for calculating the design we assigned priors to its parameters, i.e., we made assumptions on the respondents’ preferences for each attribute. 3 were digitised in Qualtrics, a platform for online dissemination, and tested by the experimental team to ensure that the display logic worked (e.g., respondents belonging to household without children were not asked questions related to schools). At the end of March, the weblinks to the questionnaires (available in the following sections) were shared with the whole project team, and the questionnaires will be discussed at an Away Day on 20 April with the multiple goals of (1) identifying how to reduce length (which questions to be removed); (2) identifying errors such as the omission of relevant options, or incoherence in the display logic. Based on the feedback of the team and the REC, the questionnaires will be refined for a pilot. As a rule-of-thumb, the pilot requires 30 responses from people belonging to the population of interest. Its function is to obtain real choice data to refine the experimental design; indeed, in the current designs the priors (coefficients of the utility functions) were assumed based on the literature, and the team’s knowledge. Better priors would increase the efficiency of the design, i.e., its ability to detect the real parameters in the population with statistical confidence. Before the pilot, the questionnaires with the refined design will be submitted to RESAS for review. Table 1. Timeline of the DCEs in A4.1 "Understanding behavioural factors". Tasks Period A4.1 team LL teams 1. Review of the DCE literature about transport, migration, digitalisation, housing and local food Mar 2022 to Sep 2023 Lead 2. Identification of research objectives, potential attributes and complementary questions for the DCE questionnaires Oct 2022 to Feb 2023 Lead Support 3. Preparation of DCEs’ design and digitalisation of the questionnaires in Qualtrics, to be included in the deliverable “M4.1.1. CE protocols” Mar 2023 Lead 4. Online pilots with 30 respondents (SEGS, our contacts, key stakeholders) Apr 2023 to May 2023 Support Lead 5. Refinement of the DCE protocols based on the pilots and updating of the cards in the Qualtrics questionnaire May 2023 to Jun 2023 Lead 6. Dissemination of the DCE questionnaires to the final samples of rural (and, where relevant, urban) dwellers Jul 2023 to Aug 2023 Support Lead 7. Focus groups with respondents to discuss the drivers of their choices in the DCEs Sep 2023 to Dec 2023 Support Lead 8. Analysis of DCE datasets and report on the results, to be included in the deliverable “M4.1.2. CE results” Jan 2024 to Mar 2024 Lead Sampling strategy and further activities Differently from the initial plan to use the Institute’s online social networks, and the local press, for the final dissemination of the questionnaires, we will send leaflets with QR codes to a sample of rural (and, where relevant, urban) dwellers. This strategy would reduce the bias in the composition of the sample, and allow stratification to cover different typologies of rural areas and of respondents. After discussing with the project team, we decided to stratify the sample by level in the 8-fold rural-urban classification of the Scottish Government, 3 cross tabulated with islands to ensure that island respondents are involved too, and typology of household, reduced to six. Using the household typology rather than the gender or the specific age group, is motivated by the fact that relocation decisions in particular are likely to be affected by the nature of one’s own household; in particular, our types are obtained by considering three aspects: (1) whether there is more than one adult in the household (whose employment condition may affect transport behaviours and relocation opportunities beyond the preferences of the individual); (2) 3 Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification 2016, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-government-urban-rural-classification-2016/pages/2/#:~:text=Scottish%20Government%20Urban%20Rural%20Classification%202016%201%20%281%29,Remote%20Small%20Towns%20and%20%286%29%20Remote%20Rural%20Areas [accessed 29.03.2023]. 4 the presence of children (who, as dependents, affect the household’s financial needs, and also require specific services, primarily schools); (3) whether the adults are working-age adults or above retirement age (when they do not need to commute but may have different needs). The gender and the age group of the respondent, as well as the employment condition of all the household members, will be detected through the survey. Moreover, to maximise the quality of the information collected, the dissemination material will ask that the surveys are possibly answered by the person mainly responsible for the choice of interest (i.e., travelling most often, shopping for food, and the main financial decision-maker). We will purchase a sample of 12,000 addresses stratified by degree of rurality and household typology from Experian, 4 and hire a company, identified in Denmore Press, 5 to print and post the leaflets advertising the surveys. We will prepare and sign appropriate data sharing agreements for this purpose. Experian only provides addresses of people aged 18 to 75, which will thus be our population of reference. The distribution of the Scottish population aged 18-75 between the strata at Scotland’s Census 2011 is shown in Table 2 below. 6 While the transport and food DCEs are aimed specifically at rural dwellers, in the DCE on people’s movement it is important to obtain the preferences of urban dwellers too. Appling the proportions of the whole Table 2 would result in rural dwellers only accounting for 28% of the sample, which is not acceptable given our research goals. Hence, we will treat urban dwellers as a separate sample, and request to Experian 10,000 addresses from rural areas (degree of rurality from 3 to 8), and 2,000 from cities (degree of rurality 1 or 2). Each group will be stratified according to cells corresponding to their degrees of rurality in Table 2. We have thus prepared two different leaflets, provided as Annex 1 and Annex 2 (note that the weblink provided there are not active). Table 2. Distribution of the Scottish population aged 18-75 by household type, urban-rural classification and island location. Island Urban-rural classification 1 person, 65+ 1 person, 18-64 Lone parent Couple, 65+ Couple, no children Couple, w. children no 1 – large urban 64,780 241,918 86,401 63,309 630,662 343,223 2 – other urban 61,209 158,977 78,251 77,447 560,278 374,060 3 – accessible town 16,149 33,546 16,900 22,697 139,849 97,967 4 – remote town 3,473 6,421 2,827 4,290 23,674 15,558 5 – very remote town 1,810 4,295 1,769 2,003 11,856 7,673 yes 1,138 3,071 1,098 1,165 7,852 4,827 no 6 – accessible rural 18,949 36,483 15,905 32,262 192,873 129,598 7 – remote rural 5,524 9,449 3,714 8,733 46,936 29,088 yes 7 – remote rural 118 174 32 122 380 180 no 8 – very remote rural 3,226 5,673 1800 4769 24,444 13,840 yes 3,085 5,996 1688 3989 23,603 14,911 Scotland 182,628 504,552 212,234 216,852 1,654,441 1,039,646 The leaflet for rural dwellers will include QR codes for each of the three surveys and one for a combined survey, which will be prepared after the three surveys have been reviewed by the REC. The recipients can choose to fill none, one or more than one survey. Since many of the survey blocks are common to 4 https://www.experian.co.uk/ [accessed 30 March 2023]. Institute researchers have already purchased sample of addresses from this company in the past, including for the National Island Plan Survey, and a discussion is ongoing to ensure that the required stratification is achievable. 5 https://www.denmorepress.co.uk/ [accessed 30 March 2023]. This company has assisted Institute researchers in the dissemination of the National Island Plan Survey. A quotation has already been obtained and agreed upon. 6 This distribution is obtained from Data Zone 2011 level data from table LC1109SC of the Scotland’s Census 2011, at https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/search-the-census#/topics/list?topic=Population%20and%20Households&categoryId=1 [accessed 30 March 2023]. However, the proportion of people in the age groups 18-24 over 16-24, and 65-75 over 65-100-and-more, are obtained from table QS103SC (age by single year in each Data Zone 2011). Unfortunately, the distribution by single year of age is not available for single household types; therefore, the proportions are applied to the age groups 16-24 and 65-100-and-more, across all the household types in each Data Zone 2011. 5 all of them (Basic information, Life preferences, Socio-demographics, Prize draw and future research as well as most of the introductory page), the combined survey is aimed to reduce the time required from the respondents who chose to fill all the three surveys. In turn, the leaflets for urban dwellers will only include a QR code linking to survey on places of residence. The number of addresses requested (and thus the sample size) is based on methodological (statistical) considerations. As a general rule-of-thumb, 400 is the minimum number of respondents to achieve 5% standard error at 95% confidence interval, and therefore an adequate level of confidence for the coefficients estimated. Besides this aspect, when developing the experimental designs in Ngene, we obtained similar results in terms of required sample size. Thus, we consider 400-500 as the minimum acceptable number of responses to each survey, with the goal of reaching 1,000. Given that we cannot know if the recipients will answer one or more surveys (apart from urban dwellers who can only answer one), under the restrictive hypotheses that those who respond will only respond one, that they will answer each of them with the same probability, and that the response rate will be around 10%, we obtain that we must contact 12,000 people. To further incentivise response, the respondents who are willing to provide their contact details (email address, and/or phone number) will have the opportunity to take part in a prize draw. For each of the three topic-specific questionnaires, we will assign six gift cards of £50 to randomly extracted respondents. Those who fill in the combined survey will take part in all the three extractions, thus having the opportunity to obtain up to three gift cards. We plan to close the survey on 31 August 2023, and assign the prizes shortly afterwards. Besides the posted leaflets, we will further disseminate the surveys using the Hutton social network channels (Twitter, etc.). The DCE protocols are presented in the following sections and provided as Annexes. Besides the surveys themselves, we plan to hold further participatory activities, which will be the objects of later applications for ethics review. These include: (1) focus groups to discuss the topics of the surveys, particularly the drivers of the respondents’ choices; (2) interactive sessions for running lab-in-the-field behavioural experiments, which are the second task planned in the framework of A4.1. This lab-in-the-field experiment, whose protocol will be prepared during Year 2 of the SRP 2022-2027, will assess the sustainability of rural communities and their economy. Depending on the participants’ preferences, the sessions can be organised online, or in-person using the Institute’s mobile experimental lab (a set of networked tablets). The details will be defined during the following months and presented in a future report. For both activities, we hope to benefit from our DCE sample. Therefore, at the end of the surveys we will ask the respondents to express their interest in taking part in one or both activities (for which they must provide their contact details). The focus groups will last up to 1.5 hours, involving 6 to 8 people for a total of 20 participants for each survey topic. We foresee no incentivisation, but refreshment and reimbursement of travel expenses will be provided if they take part in person. The objectives of the focus groups are to (1) explore the drivers of people’s choices; (2) cover specific local issues that could not be addressed in the surveys (e.g., multimodal transport and their coordination, especially for island dwellers); (3) obtain new DCE responses: the participants will be asked to answer again the choice cards, to allow researchers to test the impact of discussion on individual preferences. The focus groups are expected to take place between September and December 2023, under the coordination of the Living Lab teams. Rural transport The first DCE, whose protocol is provided in Annex 3, deals with rural transport. This links to Research Question 4 of the RESAS ITGF: What are the current challenges, and options for improvement, for developing affordable and sustainable rural and island transport? More precisely, it aims at “understanding the extent of, and drivers behind, individual behaviour change, and what changes would be required to support greater use of rural public transport”. Respondents will be asked to choose between different ways of travelling for making the same trip. The reason of the trip will not be defined, for 6 inclusiveness, but respondents will be informed that this is a trip they need to make with a certain regularity, and that the means of transport proposed are the only ones available. The way of travel considered will be four: bike, private vehicle (e.g., car, van, etc.), public transport (based on a given schedule), and on-demand transport, defined as “a bookable way of transport (bus, minibus or car) for those unable to use timetabled transport or who do not have a regular scheduled bus service, which picks you up close to your home”. We are particularly interested in the relative attractiveness of cycling, especially for short trips, and of on-demand transport, which can represent a viable alternative for rural areas where scheduled public transport is financially unsustainable. Furthermore, we would like to assess if the way of booking affects the attractiveness of on-demand transport for different socio-demographic groups. Since the transport choices of rural dwellers are related with the length of the trip, we will ask them to make decisions for trip of set lengths: 2 miles, 10 miles and 30 miles. 7 Such values represent terciles of the distribution of the length of commuting trips according to the Scotland’s Census 2011. 8 Each way of transport will be characterised by up to five attributes (besides the means of transport itself): 1. Travel time in minutes (three potential durations for each trip length and each way of travelling); 2. Reliability, i.e., the probability of arriving punctual to the final destination (low – 70% or lower probability; medium – around 80%; high – 90% or higher); 3. Frequency of service, only available for public and on-demand transport (low – one single service per day, or one in the morning and one in the afternoon; medium – 2-3 options in the morning and 2-3 in the afternoon; high – regular races, one per hour or more); 4. Way of booking, only required for on-demand transport (phone or mobile application, assuming that the method specified is the only one available); 5. Cost of the trip in pound sterling, which includes the fuel but not parking fees and running costs for private vehicle, and one-way ticket for public transport or on-demand transport, and is always zero for cycling (three potential costs for each trip length and each way of transport). The travel times and the cost of the trips for bike, private vehicle, and public transport were detected from Google Maps after selecting five random localities in rural Scotland, five times of the week for each locality, and for each of the 25 combinations, three trips of 2, 10, and 30 miles, respectively. The three levels of the attributes represent rounded values of the minimum, median, and maximum travel time and cost for each trip length and way of transport. The values for on-demand transport were set in line with public transport. The absence of an attribute related to environmental impact is because users do not obtain explicit information about this aspect when choosing their way of travelling: we assume that this information is entailed in the way of travelling itself (e.g., “private vehicle” is less sustainable). Thus the coefficient associated to the option itself is a proxy of the willingness to pay for sustainability. Every respondent will answer nine choice cards: three for each trip length (2, 10, and 30 miles). Three D-efficient designs of 24 choice cards were created, for a total of 72 cards, and the cards of each design were allocated to eight blocks. Each respondent will be proposed one random block. A draft version of 7 A similar approach of asking respondents to choose between different ways of transport (including bus and carpooling, which is similar to on-demand transport) for trips of different length has been adopted in Monchambert, G. (2020). Why do (or don’t) people carpool for long distance trips? A discrete choice experiment in France. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 132: 911-931. 8 These distance were chosen based on Data Zone 2011 level data from table QS703SC of the Scotland’s Census 2011, available at https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/search-the-census#/topics/list?topic=Transport&categoryId=7 [accessed 28.03.2023]. 7 the questionnaire to be discussed with the project team and refined for the pilot dissemination can be visualised at this link: https://hutton.qualtrics.com/jfe/preview/previewId/4d9381d2-7bd2-42e882f3-58f56df301a1/SV_cYpOWLxyNx4eZTg?Q_CHL=preview&Q_SurveyVersionID=current. Local food systems The second DCE deals with local food systems, and the questionnaire is presented in Annex 4. This DCE links to Research Question 7: What are the benefits, and challenges, in developing a regional food economy in rural and island communities?. It aims to identify risks and opportunities of localising production and consumption economies by detecting consumers’ preferences, particularly for local origin, accessibility, and for producers whose income is redistributed locally (with “living wage certification” as a proxy). To narrow down the scope of the choice, we decided to focus on vegetables, given the parallel need of promoting healthier diets in Scotland. To further avoid biases due to individual preferences for different types of vegetables, the respondents will be proposed boxes including different types of fresh vegetables: 1 kg of fresh potatoes, 300 grams of baby potatoes, 0.5 kg of fresh onions, 0.5 kg of carrots, 250 grams of cauliflower florets, and a quarter of white cabbage. 9 These are the most purchased vegetables in Scotland’s rural areas based on the 2018/2019 version of the Family Food Survey, 10 and can be produced locally. Respondents will be asked to choose between two alternative vegetable boxes, with the option of choosing “neither of them” (which will provide a further indication of the potential consumption of vegetables). Since accessibility and thus freshness may be problematic in many rural areas, consumers’ responses will help us understand if their willingness-to-pay differs significantly depending on the values assumed by these attributes. Overall, the vegetable boxes will be characterised according to six attributes: 1. Place of production, which can be local, elsewhere in Scotland, elsewhere in the UK, or imported; 2. Mode of production (conventional vs organic), which is not our main focus but cannot be omitted; 3. Accessibility, i.e., the distance from the point of sale, in minutes, using the most rapid way of travel available to the respondent (varying from 0 minutes in case of online shopping, to 1-10 minutes, 1130 minutes, and more than 30 minutes); 4. Freshness, defined in terms of remaining weeks until the best-before date (from three to one); 5. Benefits to the community, for which the certification as a “living wage employer” is used as a proxy: differently from the minimum wage, this is not a legal requirement. 6. The price of the boxes, ranging from £1.50 to £9.00 in steps of £1.50. The prices of the box were defined based on the prices for the above vegetables in the online shopping websites of the following retail companies: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, ALDI and Waitrose. The minimum and maximum potential prices for a box including the vegetables and quantities mentioned 9 Alternative strategies, adopted in the extant literature, include using the specific types of vegetables as levels of a categorical attribute (e.g., Hempel, C., & Hamm, U. (2016). How important is local food to organic-minded consumers?. Appetite 96, 309-318) or testing fresh and processed products in two separate designs (e.g., chicken and yogurt in: Mugera, A., Burton, M., & Downsborough, E. (2017). Consumer preference and willingness to pay for a local label attribute in Western Australian fresh and processed food products. Journal of Food Products Marketing 23(4), 452-472.). The first strategy would result in a large number of additional coefficients, while the second requires nevertheless to identify specific products; therefore, we deemed them unsuitable. Considering that rural dwellers are likely to buy many products in the same occasion, and that vegetable boxes are a promising option for producers selling vegetables in short supply chains, we opted for asking to choose between vegetable boxes. 10 Dataset “RU – household purchases”, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/family-food-datasets [accessed 28.03.2023]. 8 above were calculated, and this range was then divided into equally spaced levels. We set no constraints to the combinations of the attributes, meaning that all the possible combinations were allowed in the choice cards. Each respondent will answer eight choice cards. A D-efficient designs of 32 choice cards was created using Ngene and the cards were allocated to four blocks; each respondent will be proposed one random block. A draft version of the questionnaire to be discussed with the project team and refined for the pilot dissemination, can be visualised at this link: https://hutton.qualtrics.com/jfe/preview/previewId/fd6cda25-1479-44f3-88e4-b2807d039ae8/SV_0OfrLGkrymoQP9I?Q_CHL=preview&Q_SurveyVersionID=current. Different localities as potential places of residence The third DCE, reported in Annex 5, will deal with people’s movement between and to rural areas by asking respondents to choose between different localities as potential places of residence. Although our research focus is on rural areas (including small towns), the localities proposed will not be limited to rural ones to avoid overestimating people’s willingness to move there. Equally, since only about 20% of the Scottish population live outside cities, the decisions of urban dwellers are key to achieve sustainable population levels in rural areas. For this reason, this DCE will be proposed to a sample of urban dwellers too. This DCE is not linked to a specific research question but, through the attributes and the complementary questionnaire, it aims to help respond Research Question 3: What are the barriers and opportunities to meeting rural housing requirements?; Research Question 6: What are the wider impacts of improving digital connectivity for rural and island areas, and what are the barriers for its uptake?; and Research Question 2: How can we best measure the opportunities, extent and barriers facing community wealth generation in rural contexts?. Indeed, a sustainable and possibly growing rural population is key to achieve a robust and resilient rural economy. From this point of view, it also links to Research Question 3 of the “Rural Communities” topic: How can we develop a better understanding of the changing population dynamics of Scotland’s rural and island communities? The respondents to this DCE will be asked to choose between two localities as potential places of residence, including an option to opt out and thus remain in their current place of residence, whose features are detected by means of complementary questions to define a baseline. Each locality will be defined by nine attributes, many of which refer to the accessibility (distance) of local assets (i.e., public services), thus linking to the project’s WP1 Building geographical evidence – assets, outcomes and rural diversity. The attributes are the following: 1. The quality of the natural environment, which is likely to be a significant driver of people’s movement to rural areas, and is defined based on presence of elements like a pleasant landscape, biodiversity, absence of pollution, air and water quality (four levels, from very poor to very good); 2. The quality of digital connectivity, which is key especially for allowing remote working (five levels, including no connectivity, and then from very poor to very good); 3. Commuting time to the workplace, defined in terms of driving time (five levels, from 5 minutes or less to 45 minutes or more). Like for the other attributes defined on the basis of distance, “driving time” was chosen as the most inclusive measure, but the respondents are invited to think about the equivalent walking or cycling time, if they prefer these alternative ways of travelling; 4. The distance from the family members (e.g., parents, siblings, children) who are visited most often by the respondent (four levels, from living in the locality, to not reachable in a day); 5. The distance from the closest primary school (five levels, from 2 minutes or less, to 20 minutes or more) – nursery and secondary schools were also considered, but were discarded for inclusiveness; 6. The distance from the nearest acute hospital (five levels, from 5 minutes or less, to 45 minutes or more) – GP practices were also considered but given that they are usually available at short distance, 9 as confirmed by data, hospitals were deemed more relevant in the rural context; 11 7. The distance from the grocery shop where the respondent would do most of their grocery purchases, regardless of its typology (five levels, from 2 minutes or less, to 20 minutes or more); 8. The location typology, corresponding to the 6-fold urban-rural classification of the Scottish Government, after aggregating the urban options (five levels, from urban, to remote rural areas); 9. The household income, defined as the change in the household’s “monthly net disposable income” (i.e., income minus taxes, housing and utility costs) after moving to the locality, given the new earnings and housing costs (seven equally spaced levels, from -£300, to no change, to +£300). A key challenge of this DCE was to ensure that the respondents only consider the characteristic of the locality, abstracting from housing and employment, which could result in very different housing costs and income levels. Therefore, the respondents are asked to assume that they can find a home and jobs that are similar to their current ones. Equally, since a DCE requires a monetary attribute, this was identified in the monthly household income net of housing costs, which allows to abstract from housing and income levels. The steps between the attribute levels correspond to about 5% of the median net household income for Scotland in 2016/19. 12 The distances from assets (workplace, primary school, hospital, grocery shop) are rounded values of the quartiles of the distribution of the distances for rural dwellers, from the “Geographical Access to Services” indicator of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 (rough distances from other assets were assigned to those whose distances were not available). 13 This DCE aims to assess how the accessibility of different assets impact people’s willingness to move to specific localities, controlling for digital connectivity and the quality of the natural environment, among others. In turn, by linking to the features of real places through the postcodes of the respondents, this would allow to assess the “population potential” of different rural areas. Not all the assets will be relevant for all the respondents, who are thus invited to ignore those they deem irrelevant for them (e.g., households without children may ignore primary school, people who can work full-time from home may ignore commuting time, elderly people may be more interested in hospital). Because nine attributes to be considered jointly is a significant cognitive burden, we adopt a partial profile design, whereby only six attributes vary between the two localities proposed in each card. Every respondent will be proposed one randomly-selected block of eight choice cards belonging to a Defficient, partial profile design developed in Ngene and consisting of 32 cards allocated into four blocks. A draft version of the questionnaire to be discussed with the project team and refined for the pilot dissemination, can be visualised at this link: https://hutton.qualtrics.com/jfe/preview/previewId/92bdb1f4-bb99-422b-935e-e4218f4c6e8b/SV_72LmZZfuWfNdEi2?Q_CHL=preview&Q_SurveyVersionID=current. 11 Although the distances were increased to align to the Scottish rural context, for our choice to consider hospitals we drew inspiration from Jordan, H., Roderick, P., Martin, D., & Barnett, S. (2004). Distance, rurality and the need for care: access to health services in South West England. International journal of health geographics 3(1), 1-9. 12 https://www.gov.scot/publications/poverty-income-inequality-scotland-2016-19 [accessed 28.03.2023]. Previous studies have used percentage changes in income as attributes (Ibraimovic, T., & Hess, S. (2018). A latent class model of residential choice behaviour and ethnic segregation preferences. Housing studies 33(4), 544-564. Kyoi, S. (2021). People’s Avoidance of Neighboring Agricultural Urban Green Infrastructure: Evidence from a Choice Experiment. Sustainability 13(12), 6930). We prefer to avoid such approach because we would need to force respondents to declare their household income or lose observations, and because it requires a complex double computation. We thus use monetary values that correspond to similar percentages of median income. 13 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020v2 – indicators, https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-indexof-multiple-deprivation-2020v2-indicator-data/ [accessed 28.03.2023]. 16 activities, your email and/or phone number will be destroyed after the activities have taken place. Hence, the data will be stored in anonymised form, without any possibility to link your choices, statements or opinions to your name. The anonymous datasets shall be used for statistical elaboration and to produce results of the project to be communicated and disseminated. The results will only be disseminated in aggregated form, and nothing in the research output will allow to go back to your identity or individual choices. We are the Data Controller of your personal data. We will not share your personal data unless required by law. Your personal data will not be transferred outside the UK. You have rights in relation to your personal data. For further information on your rights in relation to your data, please see our Privacy Notice at www.hutton.ac.uk/terms, or contact our Data Protection Officer on [email protected], or by phone at 01382 346814. If you are completing this survey because you have seen it advertised on our social media channels, then the following does not apply to you. We have obtained your name and postal address from Experian Marketing Services in order to select our survey sample. To learn more about how they help organisations with their marketing and advertising including how to opt-out, visit www.experian.co.uk/cip. Your name and address have been shared only with Denmore Press for the express purpose of printing and posting the survey, and will not be shared with any other third party, unless required by law. A data processing agreement and adequate data protection safeguards are in place. Your name and address are stored on secure servers in the UK and will be deleted when the survey closes on 31 August 2023. The weblink you used to access the survey is anonymous, and we cannot link your responses to your name and address. Who to contact? This research project is led by a team of social scientists and information scientists. The project’s principal investigator is Dr Jonathan Hopkins. This task is managed by a team of economists led by Dr Simone Piras. If you have any questions at any time, or would like to provide your feedback or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at Simone.Pira[email protected] or 01224 395399. Your consent Please read the following, and tick the box at the bottom to indicate that you consent to take part in this study. • I confirm that I have read the above information about this study. • I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time, without providing any reason and without my legal rights being affected. • I understand that the study is being conducted by researchers from The James Hutton Institute, and is funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division. • I understand that confidentiality and anonymity will be maintained at all times and it will not be possible to identify me from any publications or outputs. • I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Privacy Notice (above).  I hereby give my consent to take part in this study [Bar showing the % of completion to be included on each page. No possibility to review the questions already answered once the respondent has clicked to advance to the next page. Numbers are for the questions and letters are for the answers. Questions marked with * are force response questions. Questions that are presented on a certain condition are highlighted in blue.] 17 Basic information 1. What is your current postcode? Please use the UK postcode format, for example, AB12 3CD. __________________________ 2. When did your household move to its current place of residence? Year: _____________ Month: ___________________ □ I do not remember 3. Before moving to the current place of residence a) I was part of another household b) We moved as part of this same household 4. What was the postcode of your previous place of residence (if any)? Please use the UK postcode format, for example, AB12 3CD. If you lived outside of UK, please write in the country. ____________________________ 5. The Scottish Government adopts thew following urban-rural classification: (1) large urban areas, (>125,000 inhabitants); (2) other urban areas (10,000 to 125,000 inhabitants); (3) accessible small towns (3,000 to 10,000 inhabitants, with a settlement of 10,000+ reachable in 30 min drive time or less), (4) remote small towns (3,000 to 10,000 inhabitants, but further away from a settlement of 10,000+), (5) accessible rural areas (<3,000, with a settlement of 10,000+ reachable in 30 minutes’ drive time or less), (6) remote rural areas (<3,000, but further away from a settlement of 10,000+). How would you define the place where you currently live? a) Large urban area b) Other urban area c) Accessible small town d) Remote small town e) Accessible rural area f) Remote rural area 6. How would you describe your household? a) One person household: aged 65 and over b) One person household: aged under 65 c) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, without children: at least one aged under 65 d) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, without children: all aged 65 and over e) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, with children f) Lone parent household g) Other household typology (please describe) __________ 7. Including yourself, how many people in each of the following age groups usually live with you? (Please enter a digit for each category, using zero if needed) → only ask for the age categories that are compatible with the household typology in Q6. 7.1. Under 18 ________ 7.2. 18 to 64 ________ 7.3. 65 or over ________ You and your experience with transport 8. On a day-to-day basis, who travels most in your household (e.g. for work, school, shopping or other regular activities)? a) Myself b) Myself, jointly with another household member 18 c) Someone else 9. How many motor vehicles (car, vans, etc.) does your household own? a) None b) One c) Two d) More than two (please specify) ________ 10. If the answer to Q9 is not a) → What kind of fuel does/do your vehicle(s) use? Please select all those that apply. a) Petrol b) Diesel c) LPG d) Electric e) Other (please specify) ________ 11. How many people in your household have a driving licence? ______ 12. Do you or any members of your household use a bike for commuting or for other tasks (i.e., not exclusively for sport)? a) No b) Yes, sometimes c) Yes, often d) Yes, always 13. Does any household member have a disability or other conditions that limit their possibility to take means of transports that are not specifically equipped? a) No b) Yes, but the restrictions we face are limited c) Yes, we face serious restrictions d) Yes, we can only take ad hoc means of transport 14. If the answer to Q13 is not “No” → Could you please specify how many of your household members face such constraints? __________ 15. How far away does your household live from the following transport facilities? 15.1. A bus stop or station served by an urban bus network a) less than 0.5 miles b) 0.6 to 1 mile c) 1.1 to 2 miles d) 2.1 to 4 miles e) 4.1 to 10 miles f) more than 10 miles 15.2. A bus stop or station served by any bus a) less than 0.5 miles b) 0.6 to 1 mile c) 1.1 to 2 miles d) 2.1 to 4 miles e) 4.1 to 10 miles 19 f) more than 10 miles 15.3. A road served by a bus that I can stop anywhere along the route a) less than 0.5 miles b) 0.6 to 1 mile c) 1.1 to 2 miles d) 2.1 to 4 miles e) more than 4 miles f) Not relevant for my area 15.4. A train station a) less than 1 mile b) 1.1 to 5 miles c) 5.1 to 10 miles d) 10.1 to 20 miles e) more than 20 miles 15.5. Port for passenger ferries a) less than 1 mile b) 1.1 to 5 miles c) 5.1 to 10 miles d) 10.1 to 20 miles e) 20.1 to 50 miles f) more than 50 miles 15.6. Airport a) less than 1 miles b) 1.1 to 5 miles c) 5.1 to 10 miles d) 10.1 to 20 miles e) 20.1 to 50 miles f) more than 50 miles 16. Please consider the individual with the highest frequency of doing that task (e.g., if one of your household members goes to work every day and another one works part-time, the frequency of “going to work” is “daily”). 16.1. Going to work a) Daily b) A few times per week c) Once per week d) A few times per month e) Once per month f) A few times per year g) Rarely h) Never i) I do this online 16.2. Grocery shopping a) Daily b) A few times per week c) Once per week 20 d) A few times per month e) Once per month f) A few times per year g) Rarely h) Never i) I do this online 16.3. Visiting relatives or friends a) Daily b) A few times per week c) Once per week d) A few times per month e) Once per month f) A few times per year g) Rarely h) Never i) I do this online 16.4. Leisure travel (e.g., visiting a natural park, going to the cinema) a) Daily b) A few times per week c) Once per week d) A few times per month e) Once per month f) A few times per year g) Rarely h) Never i) I do this online 16.5. Visiting healthcare facilities a) Daily b) A few times per week c) Once per week d) A few times per month e) Once per month f) A few times per year g) Rarely h) Never i) I do this online 16.6. Going to the post office a) Daily b) A few times per week c) Once per week d) A few times per month e) Once per month f) A few times per year g) Rarely h) Never i) I do this online 21 16.7. Only asked to households with children → Taking kids to school, or going to school a) Daily b) A few times per week c) Once per week d) A few times per month e) Once per month f) A few times per year g) Rarely h) Never i) I do this online 17. Are there any other significant reasons, not mentioned above, why someone from your household travels, including on foot? If yes, please specify the main additional reason and the frequency of travel. Other reason: __________ a) Daily b) A few times per week c) Once per week d) A few times per month e) Once per month f) A few times per year g) Rarely h) Never i) I do this online 18. Only for the reasons of travel for which “never” and “I do this online” were not selected in the Q16 and Q17 → Please indicate the ways of travel that you and your household use most often [task below], in order of importance. Please only input numerical values, with 1 being the most important and 3 the least important (you can select less than three if you use less than three, or if other ways of travel are used a negligible number of times). 18.1. Going to work a) Driver in a car or van b) Passenger in a car or van c) On foot d) Bus, minibus or coach e) Train f) Taxi g) Bicycle h) Motorcycle, scooter or moped i) Ferry j) Airplane or helicopter k) Other (please specify) 18.2. Grocery shopping a) Driver in a car or van b) Passenger in a car or van c) On foot d) Bus, minibus or coach e) Train f) Taxi g) Bicycle 22 h) Motorcycle, scooter or moped i) Ferry j) Airplane or helicopter k) Other (please specify) 18.3. Visiting relatives or friends a) Driver in a car or van b) Passenger in a car or van c) On foot d) Bus, minibus or coach e) Train f) Taxi g) Bicycle h) Motorcycle, scooter or moped i) Ferry j) Airplane or helicopter k) Other (please specify) 18.4. Leisure travel (e.g., visiting a natural park, going to the cinema) a) Driver in a car or van b) Passenger in a car or van c) On foot d) Bus, minibus or coach e) Train f) Taxi g) Bicycle h) Motorcycle, scooter or moped i) Ferry j) Airplane or helicopter k) Other (please specify) 18.5. Visiting healthcare facilities a) Driver in a car or van b) Passenger in a car or van c) On foot d) Bus, minibus or coach e) Train f) Taxi g) Bicycle h) Motorcycle, scooter or moped i) Ferry j) Airplane or helicopter k) Other (please specify) 18.6. Going to the post office a) Driver in a car or van b) Passenger in a car or van c) On foot d) Bus, minibus or coach e) Train 23 f) Taxi g) Bicycle h) Motorcycle, scooter or moped i) Ferry j) Airplane or helicopter k) Other (please specify) 18.7. Taking kids to, or going to school a) Driver in a car or van b) Passenger in a car or van c) On foot d) Bus, minibus or coach e) Train f) Taxi g) Bicycle h) Motorcycle, scooter or moped i) Other (please specify) 18.8. Other (please specify) a) Driver in a car or van b) Passenger in a car or van c) On foot d) Bus, minibus or coach e) Train f) Taxi g) Bicycle h) Motorcycle, scooter or moped i) Other (please specify) 19. Does any of your household members rely on a bus or other kind of vehicle hired or run by your employer to reach your workplace? a) No b) Yes c) Yes, more than one of us (please specify number) __________ Your life preferences 20. Please indicate the extent to which the following items describe you. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = extremely unlike me and 5 = extremely like me. 20.1. I admire people who own expensive homes, cars, and clothes. 20.2. I like a lot of luxury in my life. 20.3. I'd be happier if I could afford to buy more things. 20.4. I express my opinions about everything. 20.5. If something does not affect me, I do not usually tell others if it is good or bad. 20.6. I share many more opinions than the average person. 21. Are you generally a person who is fully prepared to take risks or do you try to avoid taking risks? Please tick a box on the scale, 0 = not at all willing to take risks and 10 = very willing to take risks. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 22. You are asked to allocate money between yourself and another person that you do not know and will remain anonymous. For each of the following six choices, please indicate the allocation you 24 prefer the most. You can only select one allocation for each choice. In the example below, a person has chosen to allocate money so that they receive £50, while the other person receives £40. Please choose how to allocate the money with another individual. If you are using a computer, please slide to the right to make sure that you see all the options. Your transport preferences In this part of the survey, we want to explore your preferences for different ways of travelling, and the price you are willing to pay for them. The results will help us draw recommendations for promoting efficient, economically viable, and sustainable rural transport in Scotland, which in turn will inform the Scottish Government’s policy in this regard. Therefore, it is important that you answer the questions as if you needed to pay for the trip in real life. There are a number of factors that you need to consider when choosing how to travel, including the means of transport, cost of the trip, travel time, reliability and, if relevant, way of booking and frequency of services. In the following pages, we will give you four options for making the same trip, illustrated in so called “cards.” The first option will always be to go by bike; the second – to use your private fuel-propelled vehicle (car, van); the third – to take standard public transport (it can be bus, minibus, coach or train); the fourth – to use on-demand transport, i.e., a bookable way of transport (bus, minibus or car) for those unable to use timetabled transport or who do not have a regular scheduled bus service, which picks you up close to your home. Walking is not possible. Different cards will refer to trips of different length, namely 2 miles, 10 miles, or 30 miles, specified in the question that precedes the card. When making your choices, you must assume that those provided are the only transport options available, that you need to make these journeys regularly, and that you cannot avoid making them (e.g., because you are required to go to your workplace, or you need to shop for food and online delivery is not possible, or you need to visit your GP). Please 25 indicate which way of travel you prefer by making your selection at the bottom of the card. New page. Each of the four options shown in the following cards (bike, private vehicle, public transport, on-demand transport) will be described by five attributes: • Travel time Description: How long it would take for you to make the trip including, where relevant, average waiting time, access and egress time, and parking time. Levels: In minutes; depends on the way of travelling chosen. • Reliability Description: Probability of arriving punctual to your final destination if you have planned your trip properly. Depending on the way of travelling, reliability can decrease due to traffic jams, difficulty finding a parking space, weather conditions, late arrival of the means of transport, etc. Low reliability indicates 70% or lower probability of arriving punctual; medium reliability – around 80% probability; high reliability – 90% or higher probability. Levels: Low / Medium / High • Frequency of service Description: Only specified for public and on-demand transport. It refers to the number of services in a working day. For example, low frequency indicates one single service per day or one in the morning and one in the afternoon; medium frequency – 2-3 options in the morning and 2-3 in the afternoon; high frequency – regular races (one per hour or more). Levels: Low / Medium / High • Way of booking Description: Only specified for on-demand transport. The procedure you must use to book a trip: phone call, or through a mobile phone application. The way specified is the only one available. Levels: Phone call / Mobile app • Cost of the trip Description: The total cost of the trip, which includes fuel (but not parking fees and running costs) for your private vehicle, and one-way fare for public transport or on-demand transport. Always zero for bike. Levels: In pounds sterling (£); depends on the way of travelling chosen. 32 42. How much have the following events affected your household to date? 1 = Not at all and 5 = A lot 42.1. Brexit 42.2. The Covid-19 pandemic and resulting measures 42.3. The cost of living crisis 43. If the answer to Q42.3 is more than 1 → How was your household affected by the current cost of living crisis? a) Our economic situation has improved b) Our economic situation has not changed much c) Our economic situation has worsened d) Our economic situation has significantly worsened 44. Are anyone in your household involved in any environment/conservation/wildlife group? Please select all that apply. a) Yes, as an employee b) Yes, as a volunteer c) Yes, as a donor d) No (exclusive answer) 45. Do you have a smartphone and a computer? a) Yes, both b) Only smartphone c) Only computer d) Neither Prize draw and future research The survey has finished. Now you will have the opportunity to leave your contact details for the prize draw and/or to be involved in our future research activities. Your contacts will only be used for these purposes, and you will not be identifiable in any of the research outputs. If you are interested in taking part in the prize draw and/or to be involved in our future research activities, please provide your email address and/or phone number below, and select the activities you would be willing to take part in. Email address: ___________________________________________________________________ Phone number: __________________________________________________________________ I would like to take part in the following activities (please select all those that apply). a) One focus group discussion (6-8 people for up to 1.5 hours) b) One interactive, incentivised game session (20 people for up to 1.5 hours) c) Thank you, I will only participate in the prize draw d) Thank you, I am not interested either in the activities nor in the price draw (exclusive answer) End of survey message We thank you for your time spent taking the survey. Your responses have been recorded. If you have provided you contact details and you are awarded one of the prizes, you will be contacted shortly after 31 August 2023. 33 If you have expressed an interest in taking part in future participatory activities, you will be contacted in due course. If you need any information or clarification, or if you have any comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact the research team at [email protected]. The James Hutton Institute’s research team of the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs.” 34 Annex 4: Questionnaire for choice experiment on local food [Potential respondents will receive a leaflet with QR codes and short web addresses by post; when reading the QR code or opening the address, they will see the following text] Welcome and thank you for supporting our research efforts! Please read the following information carefully, and if you are happy to proceed with the survey, provide your consent at the bottom of the page. Research description In Scotland, and particularly rural Scotland, there is a potential to develop resilient local food systems, which can also contribute to more diverse and healthier diets. The importance of resilient local food systems has emerged particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, localising production and consumption bears risks. Indeed, access to food, especially fresh food that is not locally produced, is more of a challenge in rural areas and small towns. To inform future policy in this regard, understanding citizens’ preferences towards the food they consume is key. For this reason, you are asked to fill in a survey about rural food systems and related preferences. To maximise the amount of information collected, we ask that this survey is filled in by the household member, or by one of the household members, who is/are mainly responsible for grocery shopping or for food preparation. If they are not available, another person can respond too. About the project This research is part of the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs” (JHI-E1-1), which is funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division (RESAS). The JHI-E1-1 project uses a range of research methods to co-develop, with rural citizens and stakeholders, plausible and aspirational scenarios of Scotland’s rural economy, and provide insights into how such scenarios could intersect with community and place-based assets to support economic development and greater wellbeing. Besides local food systems, the project investigates such topics as housing, transport, digital connectivity, opportunities and challenges for rural enterprises, and the generation of community wellbeing. The project lasts for five years, from April 2022 to March 2027. This survey is part of the task “Understanding behavioural factors”, which aims to identify the preferences of rural residents and businesses, and potential for change. Who is this study conducted by? This research is conducted by the James Hutton Institute, a research institute located in Aberdeen and Dundee which focuses on the sustainable management of land, crops and natural resources for supporting thriving communities. The research has been reviewed by the Research Ethics Committee of the James Hutton Institute to ensure that it complies with ethical guidance for social science research. What is entailed in the survey? Filling out the survey is expected to take around 20 minutes of your time. You will be asked questions on socio-demographics, food choices and behaviours, and attitudes. Then, you will see some “choice cards” describing vegetable boxes with different characteristics, between which you are asked to choose. The cards aim to explore your preferences for different food products. Your choices will 35 help us understand which characteristics matter the most when deciding which vegetables to consume, and how much money you are willing to pay for them. The questions aim to find out your attitudes and opinions, so there are no right or wrong answers. Are there further activities foreseen? In the next 18 months, we are planning to organise a series of participatory activities to discuss local food systems, and other issues related to Scotland’s rural economy and communities. We will organise two types of activities: (1) focus groups to discuss the results of this survey; (2) interactive sessions to address the issue of people’s movement and community wealth generation by means of a serious game, whose participants will receive a monetary incentive. The focus groups and the game sessions will be organised online to facilitate attendance. If we obtain many expressions of interest from people from the same region, we may propose to run them in-person. If you are interested in helping our research further, please provide your email and/or phone number at the end of the survey. Your contacts will only be used for organisational purposes, and will not be linked to your responses to the survey. Why should I take part? By filling in this survey, you will help us identify any economic, social, policy or other barriers and opportunities related to the development of resilient local food systems in Scotland’s rural areas. The results of our study will be communicated to RESAS, and may inform future policy interventions of the Scottish Government. There are no risks for you from participating that we know of. Do I have to take part? Your participation is voluntary. You may choose not to take part, or to subsequently withdraw at any time, without providing any reason, and without your legal rights being affected. Will I receive any compensation for taking part? To thank you for your contribution, you are invited to take part in a prize draw to win one of six £50 gift cards to spend in a store of your choice. If you would like to take part in the prize draw, please include your email or phone number at the end of the survey. Prize draw winners will be selected on 31 August 2023 and the winning entrants will be notified by email. If you express an interest in taking part in future participatory activities and these are organised in person, your travel expenses will be reimbursed, and you will receive refreshment. If you are invited to take part in the interactive game, you will receive a monetary incentive. Privacy notice The James Hutton Institute (“Hutton”, “us” or “we”) will use your personal data for the purposes of the research undertaken in the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs” (JHI-E1-1). Hutton is committed to protecting your personal data and adheres to the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) when processing your personal data. Our legal basis for processing your data is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. Your IP address will not be recorded. Your responses will be stored securely in our servers in password-protected files. If you decide to provide your email and/or phone number for the prize drawn, these will not be linked to your responses and will be destroyed once the winners are selected on 31 August 2023. If besides the prize drawn, you express an interest in attending future participatory activities, your email and/or phone number will be destroyed after the activities have taken place. Hence, the data will be stored in anonymised form, without any possibility to link your choices, statements or opinions to your name. The anonymous datasets shall be used for statistical elaboration 36 and to produce results of the project to be communicated and disseminated. The results will only be disseminated in aggregated form, and nothing in the research output will allow to go back to your identity or individual choices. We are the Data Controller of your personal data. We will not share your personal data unless required by law. Your personal data will not be transferred outside the UK. You have rights in relation to your personal data. For further information on your rights in relation to your data, please see our Privacy Notice at www.hutton.ac.uk/terms, or contact our Data Protection Officer on [email protected], or by phone at 01382 346814. If you are completing this survey because you have seen it advertised on our social media channels, then the following does not apply to you. We have obtained your name and postal address from Experian Marketing Services in order to select our survey sample. To learn more about how they help organisations with their marketing and advertising including how to opt-out, visit www.experian.co.uk/cip. Your name and address have been shared only with Denmore Press for the express purpose of printing and posting the survey, and will not be shared with any other third party, unless required by law. A data processing agreement and adequate data protection safeguards are in place. Your name and address are stored on secure servers in the UK and will be deleted when the survey closes on 31 August 2023. The weblink you used to access the survey is anonymous, and we cannot link your responses to your name and address. Who to contact? This research project is led by a team of social scientists and information scientists. The project’s principal investigator is Dr Jonathan Hopkins. This task is managed by a team of economists led by Dr Simone Piras. If you have any questions at any time, or would like to provide your feedback or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at Simone.Pira[email protected] or 01224 395399. Your consent Please read the following, and tick the box at the bottom to indicate that you consent to take part in this study. • I confirm that I have read the above information about this study. • I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time, without providing any reason and without my legal rights being affected. • I understand that the study is being conducted by researchers from The James Hutton Institute, and is funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division. • I understand that confidentiality and anonymity will be maintained at all times and it will not be possible to identify me from any publications or outputs. • I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Privacy Notice (above).  I hereby give my consent to take part in this study [Bar showing the % of completion to be included on each page. No possibility to review the questions already answered once the respondent has clicked to advance to the next page. Numbers are for the questions and letters are for the answers. Questions marked with * are force response questions. Questions that are presented on a certain condition are highlighted in blue.] 37 Basic information 1. What is your current postcode? Please use the UK postcode format, for example, AB12 3CD. __________________________ 2. When did your household move to its current place of residence? Year: _____________ Month: ___________________ □ I do not remember 3. Before moving to the current place of residence c) I was part of another household d) We moved as part of this same household 4. What was the postcode of your previous place of residence (if any)? Please use the UK postcode format, for example, AB12 3CD. If you lived outside of UK, please write in the country. ____________________________ 5. The Scottish Government adopts the following urban-rural classification: (1) large urban areas, (>125,000 inhabitants); (2) other urban areas (10,000 to 125,000 inhabitants); (3) accessible small towns (3,000 to 10,000 inhabitants, with a settlement of 10,000+ reachable in 30 min drive time or less), (4) remote small towns (3,000 to 10,000 inhabitants, but further away from a settlement of 10,000+), (5) accessible rural areas (<3,000, with a settlement of 10,000+ reachable in 30 minutes’ drive time or less), (6) remote rural areas (<3,000, but further away from a settlement of 10,000+). How would you define the place where you currently live? a) Large urban area b) Other urban area c) Accessible small town d) Remote small town e) Accessible rural area f) Remote rural area 6. How would you describe your household? a) One person household: aged 65 and over b) One person household: aged under 65 c) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, without children: at least one aged under 65 d) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, without children: all aged 65 and over e) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, with children f) Lone parent household g) Other household typology (please describe) __________ 7. Including yourself, how many people in each of the following age groups usually live with you? (Please enter a digit for each category, using zero if needed) → only ask for the age categories that are compatible with the household typology in Q6. 7.1. Under 18 ________ 7.2. 18 to 64 ________ 7.3. 65 or over ________ 8. How many motor vehicles (car, vans, etc.) does your household own? a) None b) One c) Two d) More than two 38 You and the food 9. Who is the person mainly responsible for shopping for food in your household? a) Myself b) Myself, jointly with other household members (one or more) c) Someone else 10. Who is the person mainly responsible for food preparation in your household? a) Myself b) Myself, jointly with other household members (one or more) c) Someone else 11. To what extend do you like the following vegetables? On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 = do not like at all, 2 = do not really like, 3 = neither dislike nor like, 4 = like, 5 = like very much. 11.1. Fresh potatoes 11.2. Fresh onions 11.3. Fresh baby potatoes 11.4. Fresh carrots 11.5. Fresh cauliflower 11.6. Fresh white cabbage 12. How often does your household consume each of the following vegetables? 12.1. Fresh potatoes a) More than once per day b) Once per day c) Five to six times per week d) Two to four times per week e) Once per week f) One to three times per month g) Less than one time per month h) Never 12.2. Fresh onions a) More than once per day b) Once per day c) Five to six times per week d) Two to four times per week e) Once per week f) One to three times per month g) Less than one time per month h) Never 12.3. Baby potatoes a) More than once per day b) Once per day c) Five to six times per week d) Two to four times per week e) Once per week f) One to three times per month g) Less than one time per month 39 h) Never 12.4. Fresh carrots a) More than once per day b) Once per day c) Five to six times per week d) Two to four times per week e) Once per week f) One to three times per month g) Less than one time per month h) Never 12.5. Fresh cauliflower a) More than once per day b) Once per day c) Five to six times per week d) Two to four times per week e) Once per week f) One to three times per month g) Less than one time per month h) Never 12.6. Fresh white cabbage a) More than once per day b) Once per day c) Five to six times per week d) Two to four times per week e) Once per week f) One to three times per month g) Less than one time per month h) Never 13. What constitutes a “local food product” for you personally? Please choose up to three elements and rank them in order of importance, with 1 being the most important. a) The ingredients are grown locally b) It uses traditional local ingredients c) The production process follows a local recipe or tradition d) The ingredients are processed locally e) The producing company is an historical local company f) The employees engaged in production are locals g) The product is consumed locally 14. Are you familiar with the concept of controlled environment agriculture? a) I have never heard of controlled environment agriculture b) I have heard of controlled environment agriculture but don’t know much c) I have a basic understanding of controlled environment agriculture d) I am familiar with controlled environment agriculture e) I am an expert of controlled environment agriculture 15. Only asked if the answer to Q14 is not “I have never heard of controlled environment agriculture” → To what extend are you willing to consume products grown in a controlled environment? 40 Not at all; Probably not; Unsure; Probably yes; Definitely yes; I cannot say 16. Are you familiar with the concept of vertical farming? a) I have never heard of vertical farming b) I have heard of vertical farming but don’t know much c) I have a basic understanding of vertical farming d) I am familiar with vertical farming e) I am an expert of vertical farming 17. Only asked if the answer to Q16 is not “I have never heard of vertical farming” → To what extend are you willing to consume products produced in vertical farms? Not at all; Probably not; Unsure; Probably yes; Definitely yes; I cannot say 18. To what extent can you access the food you need in your place of residence? a) Not at all b) With difficulty c) With some difficulty d) Fairly easily e) It is not an issue 19. To what extent can you access fruits & vegetables in your place of residence? Not at all; With difficulty; With some difficulty; Fairly easily; It is not an issue 20. How often do you shop for food, including online, regardless of the quantity purchased? a) Every day b) Three to six times a week c) Once or twice a week d) Two to three times a month e) Once a month f) More rarely 21. How often do you do your grocery shopping online? a) I always do my grocery shopping online b) I almost always do my grocery shopping online c) I do my grocery shopping online more than half of the times d) I do my grocery shopping online but less than half of the times e) I do my grocery shopping online very rarely f) I never do my grocery shopping online 22. Where do you usually shop for food? Please rank up to three shopping venues in terms of frequency, with 1 being the most frequent. a) Supermarket chains b) Grocery stores c) Farmers’ markets d) Local farms and producers e) Online f) Other (please specify) 23. Where do you usually shop for fruits & vegetables? Please rank up to three shopping venues in terms of frequency, with 1 being the most frequent. a) Supermarket chains 41 b) Grocery stores c) Farmers’ markets d) Local farms and producers e) Online f) Other (please specify) 24. Do you think that food products from your area are accessible to local consumers? a) Very inaccessible b) Quite inaccessible c) Somewhat accessible d) Fairly accessible e) Completely accessible 25. Do you think that food products from your area are affordable to local consumers? a) Very unaffordable b) Quite unaffordable c) Somewhat affordable d) Fairly affordable e) Completely affordable 26. To what extent do you agree with the following statements? On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 = strongly disagree; 4 = disagree; 3 = neither disagree nor agree; 4 = agree; 5 = strongly agree. 26.1. Tourism favours improvement in the quality of local food. 26.2. Tourism causes an increase in the price of local food. 26.3. Tourism is beneficial to the development of the local food industry. 27. How aware are you of the origin of the vegetables you purchase? a) Not aware at all b) Mostly unaware c) Neither unaware not aware d) Fairly aware e) Fully aware 28. Where do most of the vegetables you purchase origin from? a) Locally b) Scotland (not local) c) UK (not Scotland) d) International e) I do not know 29. How long do you need to travel to the place where you buy the majority of your vegetables? a) 0 minutes (online shopping) b) From 1 to 5 minutes c) From 5 to 10 minutes d) From 10 to 30 minutes e) More than 30 minutes 30. How aware are you of the mode of production of the vegetables you purchase (organic or conventional)? Not aware at all; mostly unaware; neither unaware nor aware; fairly aware; fully aware 48 46.5. My food choices can help improve the sustainability of rural food systems. 46.6. The quality of the food sold in Scotland is generally good. 46.7. The quality of local food in Scotland is good. 46.8. Scotland’s rural dwellers do not need to change their food consumption habits. 46.9. In my view, there are other issues that are more important than food choices. 46.10. When answering the cards, I looked mainly at the cost of the various options. 46.11. When answering the cards, I looked at all the characteristics jointly. 46.12. When answering the cards, I considered the sustainability of the type of food chosen. Socio-demographics: You and your household 46. What is your age? a) 18-24 years b) 25-34 years c) 35-44 years d) 45-54 years e) 55-64 years f) 65-74 years g) 75 years or more 47. What is your gender? a) Female b) Male c) I prefer to self-describe ___________________ d) I prefer not to say 48. One column for each household member in Q7 → What is the employment or study condition of your household members? Please fill in a column for each household member. a) Working as an employee (part-time) b) Working as an employee (full-time) c) Self-employed or freelance d) Temporarily away from work (ill, carer break, maternity or paternity leave) e) On maternity or paternity leave f) Doing another kind of paid work g) Retired (whether receiving a pension or not) h) Studying (primary or secondary school) i) Studying (university) j) Looking after home or family k) Other 49. One column for each of the household members for which the answer to Q48 is a) to e) → What is the employment sector of your household members? a) Agriculture and land-based industries b) Utilities c) Manufacturing d) Construction e) Wholesale, retail, vehicle repair f) Accommodation and food services g) Transport, information and communication h) Finance and insurance, real estate, professional and administrative i) Public administration, education and health j) Arts, entertainment and recreation 49 k) Other service activities 50. One column for each of the household members for which the answer to Q48 is a) to e) → Which of the following best describes the work-from-home situation of the following household members? a) The nature of their job does not allow to work remotely b) The nature of their job allows to work remotely but they are not allowed to c) They are allowed to work from home but they work always from the office d) They work mostly from the office e) They work mostly from home f) They work exclusively from home 51. Are there more than five members in your household? If so, please select how many. a) Six household members b) Seven household members c) Eight household members d) Nine household members e) Ten household members or more f) No additional members (exclusive answer) 52. One column for each of the additional household members if more than 5 stated (member 6 and onwards)→ What is the employment or study condition of your household members? Please fill in a column for each household member. a) Working as an employee (part-time) b) Working as an employee (full-time) c) Self-employed or freelance d) Temporarily away from work (ill, carer break, maternity or paternity leave) e) Doing another kind of paid work f) Retired (whether receiving a pension or not) g) Studying (primary or secondary school) h) Studying (university) i) Looking after home or family j) Other 53. One column for each of the household members if more than 5 stated (member 6 and onwards)→ What is the employment sector of your household members? a) Agriculture and land-based industries b) Utilities c) Manufacturing d) Construction e) Wholesale, retail, vehicle repair f) Accommodation and food services g) Transport, information and communication h) Finance and insurance, real estate, professional and administrative i) Public administration, education and health j) Arts, entertainment and recreation k) Other service activities 54. One column for each of the household members for which the answer to Q52 is a) to e) → Which of the following best describes the work-from-home situation of the following household members? a) The nature of their job does not allow to work remotely b) The nature of their job allows to work remotely but they are not allowed to 50 c) They are allowed to work from home, but they work always from the office d) They work mostly from the office e) They work mostly from home f) They work exclusively from home 55. *How would you assess your household financial wellbeing? a) We have much more than we need b) We have more than we need c) We have about what we need d) We sometimes face difficulties e) We face serious difficulties f) We cannot make ends met 56. What is your monthly household income after tax? a) Less than £900 b) Between £901 and £1250 c) Between £1251 and £1600 d) Between £1601 and £2000 e) Between £2001 and £2400 f) Between £2401 and £3000 g) Between £3001 and £3600 h) Between £3601 and £4400 i) Between £4401 and £5900 j) More than £5900 57. How much have the following events affected your household to date? On a scale from 1 = Not at all to 5 = A lot 57.1. Brexit 57.2. The Covid-19 pandemic and resulting measures 57.3. The cost-of-living crisis 58. If the answer to Q57.3 is more than 1 → How was your household affected by the current cost of living crisis? a) Our economic situation has improved b) Our economic situation has not changed much c) Our economic situation has worsened d) Our economic situation has significantly worsened 59. Are anyone in your household a member of a community purchasing group? a) Yes b) No 60. Are anyone in your household involved in any environment/conservation/wildlife group? Please select all that apply. a) Yes, as an employee b) Yes, as a volunteer c) Yes, as a donor d) No (exclusive answer) 61. Do you have a smartphone and a computer? a) Yes, both 51 b) Only smartphone c) Only computer d) Neither Prize draw and future research The survey has finished. Now you will have the opportunity to leave your contact details for the prize draw and/or to be involved in our future research activities. Your contacts will only be used for these purposes, and you will not be identifiable in any of the research outputs. If you are interested in taking part in the prize draw and/or to be involved in our future research activities, please provide your email address and/or phone number below, and select the activities you would be willing to take part in. Email address: ___________________________________________________________________ Phone number: __________________________________________________________________ I would like to take part in the following activities (please select all those that apply). e) One focus group discussion (6-8 people for up to 1.5 hours) f) One interactive, incentivised game session (20 people for up to 1.5 hours) g) Thank you, I will only participate in the prize draw (exclusive answer) h) Thank you, I am not interested either in the activities nor in the price draw (exclusive answer) End of survey message We thank you for your time spent taking the survey. Your responses have been recorded. If you have provided you contact details and you are awarded one of the prizes, you will be contacted shortly after 31 August 2023. If you have expressed an interest in taking part in future participatory activities, you will be contacted in due course. If you need any information or clarification, or if you have any comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact the research team at [email protected]. The James Hutton Institute’s research team of the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs.” 52 Annex 5: Questionnaire for choice experiment on people’s movement [Potential respondents will receive a leaflet with QR codes and short web addresses by post; when reading the QR code or opening the address, they will see the following text] Welcome and thank you for supporting our research efforts! Please read the following information carefully, and if you are happy to proceed with the survey, provide your consent at the bottom of the page. Research description Achieving sustainable population levels and even population growth in Scotland’s rural and islands communities is a key goal of the Scottish Government’s Population Strategy. Despite an evidence of people’s movement to mostly accessible rural areas during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, many of these areas are still experiencing population loss. Attracting people towards diverse rural and island localities requires the presence of certain assets – human, social, environmental, and economic capitals including, for instance, services of general interest and housing. In turn, more residents may help economy and communities thrive, and make the management of local assets more sustainable. For the above reasons, you are asked to fill in a survey about preferences between rural (and nonrural) localities as potential places of residence. To maximise the amount of information collected, we ask that this questionnaire is filled in by the main economic decision-maker of your household. If your household makes these decisions either collectively or jointly, the questionnaire can be filled in by one of these decision makers. If you reside in an urban area, you are not in the right place. Indeed, 80% of the Scottish population resides in cities, and knowing their preferences in terms of potential movement to rural areas is key for building sustainable communities. For this reason, we have ensured that urban dwellers are properly represented among our respondents. About the project This research is part of the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs” (JHI-E1-1), which is funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division (RESAS). The JHI-E1-1 project uses a range of research methods to co-develop, with rural citizens and stakeholders, plausible and aspirational scenarios of Scotland’s rural economy, and provide insights into how such scenarios could intersect with community and place-based assets to support economic development and greater wellbeing. Besides people’s movement to and between rural areas, the project investigates such topics as housing and digital connectivity, which are also covered in the survey, as well as local food systems, opportunities and challenges for rural enterprises, and the generation of community wellbeing. The project lasts for five years, from April 2022 to March 2027. This survey is part of the task “Understanding behavioural factors,” which aims to identify the preferences of rural residents and businesses, and potential for change. Who is this study conducted by? This research is conducted by the James Hutton Institute, a research institute located in Aberdeen and Dundee which focuses on the sustainable management of land, crops and natural resources for supporting thriving communities. The research has been reviewed by the Research Ethics Committee of the James Hutton Institute to ensure that it complies with ethical guidance for social science research. 53 What is entailed in the survey? Filling out the survey is expected to take around 20 minutes of your time. You will be asked questions on socio-demographics, behaviours and attitudes, housing situation, and preferences for different localities of residence. Then, you will see some “choice cards” proposing different localities, between which you are asked to choose. The cards aim to explore your preferences for different localities as potential places of residence. Your choices will help us understand which characteristics matter the most when deciding where to settle, and how much money you require in addition to your current income, or are willing to forego, for moving there. The questions aim to find out your attitudes and opinions, so there are no right or wrong answers. Are there further activities foreseen? In the next 18 months, we are planning to organise a series of participatory activities to discuss people’s movement to and between rural areas, and other topics related to Scotland’s rural economy and communities. For example, housing and employment will be investigated more in detail during these events. We will organise two types of activities: (1) focus groups to discuss the results of this survey; (2) interactive sessions to address the issue of people’s movement and community wealth generation by means of a serious game, whose participants will receive a monetary incentive. The focus groups and the game sessions will be organised online to facilitate attendance. If we obtain many expressions of interest from people from the same region, we may propose to run them in-person. If you are interested in helping our research further, please provide your email and/or phone number at the end of the survey. Your contacts will only be used for organisational purposes, and will not be linked to your responses to the survey. Why should I take part? By filling in this survey, you will help us identify any economic, social, policy or other barriers and opportunities related to people’s movement to and between Scotland’s rural areas. The results of our study will be communicated to RESAS, and may inform future policy interventions of the Scottish Government. There are no risks for you from participating that we know of. Do I have to take part? Your participation is voluntary. You may choose not to take part, or to subsequently withdraw at any time, without providing any reason, and without your legal rights being affected. Will I receive any compensation for taking part? To thank you for your contribution, you are invited to take part in a prize draw to win one of six £50 gift cards to spend in a store of your choice. If you would like to take part in the prize draw, please include your email or phone number at the end of the survey. Prize draw winners will be selected on 31 August 2023 and the winning entrants will be notified by email. If you express an interest in taking part in future participatory activities and these are organised in person, your travel expenses will be reimbursed, and you will receive refreshment. If you are invited to take part in the interactive game, you will receive a monetary incentive. Privacy notice The James Hutton Institute (“Hutton,” “us” or “we”) will use your personal data for the purposes of the research undertaken in the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs” (JHI-E1-1). Hutton is committed to protecting your personal data and adheres to the principles of the General Data Protection 54 Regulation (“GDPR”) when processing your personal data. Our legal basis for processing your data is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. Your IP address will not be recorded. Your responses will be stored securely in our servers in password-protected files. If you decide to provide your email and/or phone number for the prize drawn, these will not be linked to your responses and will be destroyed once the winners are selected on 31 August 2023. If besides the prize drawn, you express an interest in attending future participatory activities, your email and/or phone number will be destroyed after the activities have taken place. Hence, the data will be stored in anonymised form, without any possibility to link your choices, statements or opinions to your name. The anonymous datasets shall be used for statistical elaboration and to produce results of the project to be communicated and disseminated. The results will only be disseminated in aggregated form, and nothing in the research output will allow to go back to your identity or individual choices. We are the Data Controller of your personal data. We will not share your personal data unless required by law. Your personal data will not be transferred outside the UK. You have rights in relation to your personal data. For further information on your rights in relation to your data, please see our Privacy Notice at www.hutton.ac.uk/terms, or contact our Data Protection Officer on [email protected], or by phone at 01382 346814. If you are completing this survey because you have seen it advertised on our social media channels, then the following does not apply to you. We have obtained your name and postal address from Experian Marketing Services in order to select our survey sample. To learn more about how they help organisations with their marketing and advertising including how to opt-out, visit www.experian.co.uk/cip. Your name and address have been shared only with Denmore Press for the express purpose of printing and posting the survey, and will not be shared with any other third party, unless required by law. A data processing agreement and adequate data protection safeguards are in place. Your name and address are stored on secure servers in the UK and will be deleted when the survey closes on 31 August 2023. The weblink you used to access the survey is anonymous, and we cannot link your responses to your name and address. Who to contact? This research project is led by a team of social scientists and information scientists. The project’s principal investigator is Dr Jonathan Hopkins. This task is managed by a team of economists led by Dr Simone Piras. If you have any questions at any time, or would like to provide your feedback or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at Simone.Pira[email protected] or 01224 395399. Your consent Please read the following, and tick the box at the bottom to indicate that you consent to take part in this study. • I confirm that I have read the above information about this study. • I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time, without providing any reason and without my legal rights being affected. • I understand that the study is being conducted by researchers from The James Hutton Institute, and is funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division. • I understand that confidentiality and anonymity will be maintained at all times and it will not be possible to identify me from any publications or outputs. • I acknowledge that I have read and understood the Privacy Notice (above). 55  I hereby give my consent to take part in this study [Bar showing the % of completion to be included on each page. No possibility to review the questions already answered once the respondent has clicked to advance to the next page. Numbers are for the questions and letters are for the answers. Questions marked with * are force response questions. Questions that are presented on a certain condition are highlighted in blue.] Basic information 1. Who is the main income earner in your household? a) Myself b) Myself, jointly with another household member (one or more) c) Someone else 2. Who is the main economic decision maker in your household? a) Myself b) Myself, jointly with another household member (one or more) c) Someone else 3. What is your current postcode? Please use the UK postcode format, for example, AB12 3CD. __________________________ 4. When did your household move to its current place of residence? Year: _____________ Month: ___________________ □ I do not remember 5. Before moving to the current place of residence e) I was part of another household f) We moved as part of this same household 6. What was the postcode of your previous place of residence (if any)? Please use the UK postcode format, for example, AB12 3CD. If you lived outside of UK, please write in the country. ____________________________ 7. How would you describe your household? a) One person household: aged 65 and over b) One person household: aged under 65 c) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, without children: at least one aged under 65 d) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, without children: all aged 65 and over e) Married, cohabiting or same-sex civil partnership couple, with children f) Lone parent household g) Other household typology (please describe) __________ (exclusive answer) 8. Including yourself, how many people in each of the following age groups usually live with you? (Please enter a digit for each category, using zero if needed) → only ask for the age categories that are compatible with the household typology in Q6. 8.1. Under 18 ________ 8.2. 18 to 64 ________ 8.3. 65 or over ________ 56 9. How many motor vehicles (car, vans, etc.) does your household own? a) None b) One c) Two d) More than two Housing and housing conditions 10. In which type of house are you living? a) Flat b) Terraced house c) Semi-detached house d) Detached house 11. How many bedrooms are there in your house? __________ 12. Does your house have a garden? a) Yes, a private garden b) Yes, a shared garden c) No garden 13. What are your current housing costs per month, including: rent / mortgage interest payments, structural insurance premiums, water charges, ground rent and service charges? Please specify if £0. _______ 14. Which is your council tax band? a) A b) B c) C d) D e) E f) F g) G h) H i) Not applicable [dropdown menu] 15. Which is the energy efficiency level (EPC rating) of your home? a) A b) B c) C d) D e) E f) F j) G [dropdown menu] k) I do not know 16. What type of central heating system does your accommodation have? a) No central heating b) Mains gas c) Other gas (including liquid petroleum gas and biogas) d) Electric (including storage heating) 57 e) Oil f) Solid fuel (excluding wood) g) Wood or biomass (logs, pellets, chippings) h) Other renewable energy source (including electric and air heat pump systems) i) District or communal heat system j) Other (please specify) ___________ 17. What is the tenure status of your home? a) Owned outright b) Owned (mortgage) c) Rented (private market) d) Rented (social housing) e) Other form (please specify) 18. Do you intend to move in the next five years? a) Yes, definitely b) Yes, probably c) Probably not d) Definitely not 19. How easy do you think that it would be for you to move to another place, financially? On a scale from 1 to 5, 1 = very difficult and 5 = very easy 1 2 3 4 5 20. How happy are you with your home? On a scale from 1 to 5, 1 = very unhappy and 5 = very happy 1 2 3 4 5 21. How satisfied are you of the following aspects related to your current home? On a scale from 1 to 5, 1 = very dissatisfied and 5 = very satisfied, 6 = Not applicable a) Housing costs (rent or mortgage) b) Building appearance c) Energy efficiency d) Size e) Neighbourhood f) Neighbours g) Quality of building h) Easiness of finding maintenance services i) Structural quality j) Type of tenure k) Other (please specify) _______ 22. What would you like to see in terms of future of housing in the area where you live? On a scale from 1 to 5, 1 = not important at all and 5 = very important, 6 = Not applicable a) More financial support towards housing costs (rent) b) Financial support for home ownership c) More support towards paying energy costs d) More maintenance of the neighbourhood by public authorities e) Financial support for house maintenance (for example, insulation) f) Lower council tax g) Development of housing mix more in line with the needs of households like mine h) Other (please specify) _______ 64 • The nearest hospital is at less than 5 minutes’ driving time or less • The grocery shop is at 2 minutes’ driving time or less • It is a remote rural area Or move to the locality labelled as “Locality 2” where: • They can drive to their workplace in roughly 10 minutes • Their family can be reached in a day • The primary school is at roughly 10 minutes’ driving time • The nearest hospital is at roughly 15 minutes’ driving time • The grocery shop is at roughly 5 minutes’ driving time • It is a remote small town In both localities, the natural environment is poor, the digital connectivity is good, and if moving there the household income net of housing costs would decrease by £200. Alternatively, the individual could choose not to move to any of the two localities by selecting the “Neither” option. As you can see, in this example the individual chose “Locality 1” as their most preferred option. New page. Now we will show you similar cards to the one just explained. Please look at them carefully, and think to which locality you would be willing to move given the expected change in your household income. While answering these cards, do not forget: • To look at one card at a time and within each card, to consider all the nine characteristics used to describe each locality (rows), or the characteristics that are relevant for you. • That you should make sure that given the change in your household income, you are still able to cover other expenses, like household bills, grocery shopping, and holidays. • That whatever your reasons are, it is OK to choose any option. 65 Now go to choice cards If these were your only options, to which locality would you move with your household? a) Locality 1  b) Locality 2  c) Neither  [This page will be followed by other seven pages structured in the same way, for a total of eight choices] 66 Understanding your choices 36. How confident are you in the choices you made? d) Extremely unconfident e) Unconfident f) Neither confident nor unconfident g) Confident h) Extremely confident i) There are no other adults in my household (maintained for “lone parent households” with no adult children) 37. If more than 1 adult is listed in Q6 → Would the choices differ if another adult member of your household made them? a) No, we have discussed them b) No, I am confident that the choices made reflect our shared opinion c) Probably slightly different d) Probably significantly different e) There are no other adults in my household 38. Did you ignore any of the attributes when making your choices? Please select all the attributes that you have systematically ignored, if any. a) Household income b) Digital connectivity c) Natural Environment d) Commuting time e) Family f) Primary school g) Hospital h) Grocery shop i) Location typology j) None of them (excusive answer) 39. Would you have made the same choices if you had the possibility to work full-time or more often from home? a) Yes, I would have made the same choices b) Probably not – I would be more likely to select options with long commuting time c) Definitely not – I would select options with long commuting time 40. Only asked if required by the household typology in Q6 → How long do you take to reach your pre-school childcare facility from your current home? Please consider driving time; if you use another way of transport, please make an estimate. a) I do not need this facility b) 2 minutes or less c) roughly 5 minutes d) roughly 10 minutes e) roughly 15 minutes f) 20 minutes or more g) No facility or informal childcare is available 41. Only asked if required by the household typology in Q6 and the response to Q40 is not “I do not use this facility” or “This facility is not available” → Which type of childcare do you rely on? 67 Please rank all the typologies you rely on in terms of importance for you, with 1 being the most important. If you only use one typology, just rank one. a) Private nursery – Government funded early learning and childcare hours only b) Childminder – Government funded early learning and childcare hours only c) Council nursery – Government funded early learning and childcare hours only d) Private nursery – hours beyond Government funded early learning and childcare e) Childminder – hours beyond Government funded early learning and childcare f) Council nursery – hours beyond Government funded early learning and childcare g) Informal childcare by family members (e.g., grandparents) or friends 42. Only asked if required by the household typology in Q6 → How long do you and/or your child take to reach secondary school from your current home? Please consider driving time; if you use another way of transport, please make an estimate. a) I do not need this facility b) 2 minutes or less c) roughly 5 minutes d) roughly 10 minutes e) roughly 15 minutes f) 20 minutes or more g) We rely on boarding school 43. If the number of household members under 18 in Q7.1 is different from zero → How likely are you to consider online schooling for your child(ren)? On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = very unlikely, 2 = unlikely, 3 = neither unlikely nor likely, 4 = likely, and 5 = very likely. 1 2 3 4 5 44. Would you consider attending GP appointments online? a) Yes, if the GP surgery believes that an online rather than in-person appointment is appropriate b) Yes, if the choice between online and in-person visit is mine c) No 45. How often do you do your grocery shopping, including online, regardless of the amount purchased? a) Every day b) Three to six times a week c) One or two times a week d) Several times a month e) Once a month f) More rarely 46. How often do you do your grocery shopping online? a) I always do my grocery shopping online b) I almost always do my grocery shopping online c) I do my grocery shopping online more than half of the times d) I do my grocery shopping online but less than half of the times e) I do my grocery shopping online very rarely f) I never do my grocery shopping online 47. How would each of the following elements influence your choice of whether to move to a locality? On a scale from -3 to +3, where -3 = strongly decrease my likelihood to move there, 0 = would not make any significant difference, and +3 = strongly increase my likelihood to move there. 47.1. Having previously lived in the locality. 68 47.2. Presence of other links with the locality (e.g., owning land there). 47.3. Presence of social assets in the locality (including pubs, community centres, cafes). 47.4. The locality has a larger population. 47.5. Presence of pre-school childcare facilities (including childminders). 48. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements. 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, and 5 = Strongly agree 48.1. My responses to this survey will influence the rural repopulation policy of the Scottish Government. 48.2. My responses to this survey will influence the decisions of housing development companies. 48.3. My residence decisions can help improve the quality of rural transport. 48.4. My residence decisions can help improve the sustainability of rural communities. 48.5. My housing decisions can help improve the sustainability of rural communities. 48.6. Overall, the situation of rural housing in Scotland is good for potential residents. 48.7. In my view, there are other issues that are more important than rural repopulation. 48.8. In my view, there are other issues that are more important than rural repopulation. 48.9. When answering the cards, I looked mainly at the income impact of the various options. 48.10. When answering the cards, I looked at all the characteristics jointly. 48.11. When answering the cards, I considered the environmental sustainability of the way of life chosen. Socio-demographics: You and your household 49. What is your age? a) 18-24 years b) 25-34 years c) 35-44 years d) 45-54 years e) 55-64 years f) 65-74 years g) 75 years or more 50. What is your gender? a) Female b) Male c) I prefer to self-describe ___________________ d) I prefer not to say 51. One column for each household member in Q8 → What is the employment or study condition of your household members? Please fill in a column for each household member. a) Working as an employee (part-time) b) Working as an employee (full-time) c) Self-employed or freelance d) Temporarily away from work (ill, carer break, maternity or paternity leave) e) Doing another kind of paid work f) Retired (whether receiving a pension or not) g) Studying (primary or secondary school) h) Studying (university) i) Looking after home or family j) Other 69 52. One column for each of the household members for which the answer to Q48 is a) to e) → What is the employment sector of your household members? a) Agriculture and land-based industries b) Utilities c) Manufacturing d) Construction e) Wholesale, retail, vehicle repair f) Accommodation and food services g) Transport, information and communication h) Finance and insurance, real estate, professional and administrative i) Public administration, education and health j) Arts, entertainment and recreation k) Other service activities 53. One column for each of the household members for which the answer to Q48 is a) to e) → Which of the following best describes the work-from-home situation of the following household members? a) The nature of their job does not allow to work remotely b) The nature of their job allows to work remotely but they are not allowed to c) They are allowed to work from home but they work always from the office d) They work mostly from the office e) They work mostly from home f) They work exclusively from home 54. Are there more than five members in your household? If so, please select how many. a) Six household members b) Seven household members c) Eight household members d) Nine household members e) Ten household members or more f) No additional members (exclusive answer) 55. One column for each of the additional household members if more than 5 stated (member 6 and onwards)→ What is the employment or study condition of your additional household members? Please fill in a column for each household member. a) Working as an employee (part-time) b) Working as an employee (full-time) c) Self-employed or freelance d) Temporarily away from work (ill, carer break, maternity or paternity leave) e) Doing another kind of paid work f) Retired (whether receiving a pension or not) g) Studying (primary or secondary school) h) Studying (university) i) Looking after home or family j) Other 56. One column for each of the household members if more than 5 stated (member 6 and onwards)→ What is the employment sector of your household members? a) Agriculture and land-based industries b) Utilities c) Manufacturing d) Construction 70 e) Wholesale, retail, vehicle repair f) Accommodation and food services g) Transport, information and communication h) Finance and insurance, real estate, professional and administrative i) Public administration, education and health j) Arts, entertainment and recreation k) Other service activities 57. One column for each of the household members for which the answer to Q55 is a) to e) → Which of the following best describes the work-from-home situation of the following household members? a) The nature of their job does not allow to work remotely b) The nature of their job allows to work remotely but they are not allowed to c) They are allowed to work from home but they work always from the office d) They work mostly from the office e) They work mostly from home f) They work exclusively from home 58. *How would you assess your household financial wellbeing? a) We have much more than we need b) We have more than we need c) We have about what we need d) We sometimes face difficulties e) We face serious difficulties f) We cannot make ends met 59. What is your monthly household income after tax? a) Less than £900 b) Between £901 and £1250 c) Between £1251 and £1600 d) Between £1601 and £2000 e) Between £2001 and £2400 f) Between £2401 and £3000 g) Between £3001 and £3600 h) Between £3601 and £4400 i) Between £4401 and £5900 j) More than £5900 60. How much have the following events affected your household to date? On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 = Not at all and 5 = A lot 60.1. Brexit 60.2. The Covid-19 pandemic and resulting measures 60.3. The cost of living crisis 61. If the answer to Q60.3 is more than 1 → How was your household affected by the current cost of living crisis? a) Our economic situation has improved b) Our economic situation has not changed much c) Our economic situation has worsened d) Our economic situation has significantly worsened 62. Is anyone in your household a member of a community purchasing group? 71 a) Yes b) No 63. Is anyone from your household involved in any environment/conservation/wildlife group? Please select all that apply. a) Yes, as an employee b) Yes, as a volunteer c) Yes, as a donor d) No (exclusive answer) 64. Do you have a smartphone and a computer? a) Yes, both b) Only smartphone c) Only computer d) Neither Prize draw and future research The survey has finished. Now you will have the opportunity to leave your contact details for the prize draw and/or to be involved in our future research activities. Your contacts will only be used for these purposes, and you will not be identifiable in any of the research outputs. If you are interested in taking part in the prize draw and/or to be involved in our future research activities, please provide your email address and/or phone number below, and select the activities you would be willing to take part in. Email address: ___________________________________________________________________ Phone number: __________________________________________________________________ I would like to take part in the following activities (please select all those that apply). a) One focus group discussion (6-8 people for up to 1.5 hours) b) One interactive, incentivised game session (20 people for up to 1.5 hours) c) Thank you, I will only participate in the prize draw d) Thank you, I am not interested either in the activities nor in the price draw (exclusive answer) End of survey message We thank you for your time spent taking the survey. Your responses have been recorded. If you have provided you contact details and you are awarded one of the prizes, you will be contacted shortly after 31 August 2023. If you have expressed an interest in taking part in future participatory activities, you will be contacted in due course. If you need any information or clarification, or if you have any comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact the research team at [email protected]. The James Hutton Institute’s research team of the project “Informing a socially and spatially just future for the Scottish rural economy: pinpointing opportunities, assets and support needs.” 72 This research is funded by Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) under Topic E1 “Rural Economy” (2022–2027). The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Scottish Government. Contacts Simone Piras, [email protected]