The Library has recently acquired British Political Opinion Polls and Social Surveys, 1960-1988.
A digitized collection of the complete political and social opinion polls of five major social survey organizations — MORI (Market and Opinion Research International), NOP (National Opinion Polls Market Research); HARRIS (The Harris Research Centre), MARPLAN and GALLUP, covering 1960-1988. Subjects covered include: AIDS, the Channel Tunnel, education, general elections, homosexuality, the miner’s strike, police, poll tax, and many others.
Other resources for British public opinion include:
Mass Observation Online
Digitized archive of the Mass-Observation Project, a “pioneering social research organization,” documenting everyday life and ordinary people in Britain from 1937 to 1972.
BBC Listener Research Department reports, 1937-c.1950
Includes the entire available collection of weekly Audience Summaries, together with the weekly then daily Listening Barometers. Also included are the Audience Reaction Reports on specific programmes and Special Reports on particular themes or issues for the period, as well as some key policy documents produced by the LRD.
Reports (UK Ministry of Information)
These reports were created by the British government’s Ministry of Information during the Second World War for the purpose of monitoring public opinion, and for researching aspects of wartime life of interest to the government. They were a valuable source of information for the ministers and civil servants charged with steering the country through a total war, and give a vivid picture of life on the home front.