Our Team

Carolyn Black, Senior Research Executive
Carolyn graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2006 with an MA in Psychology and joined Ipsos MORI Scotland as a graduate trainee in 2008.

She is experienced in a wide range of research processes, including topic guide and questionnaire design, conducting qualitative and deliberative fieldwork, analysing consultation responses, analysing qualitative and quantitative data, and writing research reports. She has also worked on a number of mixed-method evaluations.

Her main research interests are education, early years and young people. Recent experience include: the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey; the Evaluation of Campus Officers in Scottish Schools; a review of the Family Futures project; and an evaluation of the ‘You First’ project.

Vickie Chamberlain, Associate Director

Vickie graduated from Glasgow University in 1996 with an MA degree in Sociology and Social Policy and went on to gain an MSc in Criminology from Edinburgh University in 1997.

She joined Ipsos MORI’s London office in 2002, working mainly in the local government and crime and justice research teams. She transferred to the Edinburgh office in 2006 and since then has consolidated her experience, focusing in particular on qualitative projects and crime and justice research. Recent projects have included a study examining the views and experiences of civil court users and an evaluation of police officers working within and out-with Scottish schools. As well as vast experience of conducting focus groups and in-depth interviews with the general public, business leaders and civil servants, Vickie has particular expertise in managing large-scale qualitative research projects among vulnerable and hard to reach groups, including drug users and prisoners.

Vickie also manages Ipsos MORI’s Schools Omnibus study, a school-based survey devoted exclusively to exploring the views, experiences and aspirations of a large and representative sample of young people at school in Scotland.

In addition to her project work, Vickie mentors Ipsos MORI’s trainee researchers who are undertaking the MRS Advanced Certificate qualification and assesses their completed assignments.

Vanessa Chan, Senior Research Executive

Vanessa joined the Ipsos MORI Graduate Programme in 2008, having graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Politics (MA Hons). As part of the programme, she successfully completed the Advanced Certificate in Market and Social Research Practice (awarded by the Market Research Society).

Since joining the company, Vanessa has worked on a range of projects covering quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. Her main research interests are local government, political engagement and evaluations. Recent projects include: an evaluation of the Sex Offender Community Notification Pilot in Tayside; an evaluation of the first round of Shared Risk Assessments conducted across local authorities in Scotland; and cognitive testing of the proposed ballot paper design for the 2012 local government elections.

Beyond her public affairs work, Vanessa is part of the core team that delivers reputation research. She manages our survey of senior decision-makers in Scottish Local Authorities and our survey of Members of the Scottish Parliament. Over the years, she has worked with a range of corporate clients who have sponsored these surveys including: BP, Microsoft, Grant Thornton and Brodies LLP.

Robert Cumming, Associate Director

Robert has an MA (Hons) in Management Studies and Political Economy from the University of Glasgow and a postgraduate diploma in Accounting from the University of Strathclyde.

Since joining Ipsos MORI in 1997, Robert has specialised in Business to Business, Employee & HR, Local Government and Corporate Reputation research. Clients for whom he has recently managed research include Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, SEPA, Historic Scotland, Diageo Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Lloyds Banking Group, Standard Life, VisitScotland and the Scottish Legal Aid Board. He is responsible for all research for City of Edinburgh Council, Ipsos MORI Scotland’s second biggest client, and is Study Director for Ipsos MORI’s Members of Scottish Parliament Survey (the largest survey of MSPs including around 70 face-to-face interviews with MSPs each year).

Robert is Secretary of the Market Research Society in Scotland.

Sara Davidson, Associate Director

Sara graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1998 with a first class MA in politics and sociology. In 2002 she went on to gain a PhD in politics for her thesis, Interpreting Variation in Environmental Opinions: Explanations and Implications.

She joined Ipsos MORI’s London office as a graduate trainee in 2001, working mainly in the political and local government research teams, before transferring to the Edinburgh office two years later. In recent years she has led on much of Ipsos MORI Scotland's local government research, including: evaluations of the Pathfinder BV2 Audits and first round of Shared Risk Assessments, on behalf of Audit Scotland; service user surveys and consultations for several authorities; work to inform the development of the 'Selling Stirling' marketing campaign; a universal staff survey for Glasgow City Council; and a review of councillors’ working hours and remuneration, also for Glasgow. 

Alongside this experience, she has undertaken several studies in the areas of health & social care, and environment & regeneration. Examples of projects include: three waves of the National Scottish Survey of Attitudes to Mental Health; research for the Scottish Government's Consultation on the Review of Prescription Charging and Exemption Arrangements; a programme of research to feed into the 21st Century Social Work Review; work to inform the former Scottish Executive’s Strategy for an Ageing Population; the Scottish Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours Survey; and several studies exploring attitudes to climate change and  renewable energy.

Beyond her immediate project work, Sara co-edits the Ipsos MORI Scotland newsletter, Approach, and is responsible for the content of the company website.

Mark Diffley, Research Director

Mark has 10 years research experience in London and Scotland since he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Politics with Economics from Goldsmith College, London. He also has an MSc in research methodology from the University of North London.
He rejoined Ipsos MORI Scotland in 2008 after spending four years with Audit Scotland. During this period he directed a number of national value for money studies on a variety of issues including dealing with youth offending, bed-blocking and managing the rebuilding of schools in Scotland. Before this Mark worked for MORI between 2000 and 2004 where he conducted a range of research studies for central and local government, including managing the 2002 Scottish House Condition Survey. His main research interests include local government, politics and political engagement, crime and justice, housing and education. Recent projects he has directed include an evaluation of school-based police officers, a review of the Scottish Parliament’s public petitions process, a programme of work to inform the second round of local government Best Value Audits and a study into the priorities of social housing tenants across Scotland.

Mark is also leading the development of ‘Delivery’ a specialism from Ipsos MORI helping clients improve their performance and enhance their services. He is also leading our new quarterly Public Opinion Tracker.

Jane Eunson, Associate Director 

Jane graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2002 with a BSc Hons. in Psychology and went on to gain an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology (with Distinction) from the University of Strathclyde.

She joined Ipsos MORI as a graduate trainee in 2005, having previously worked as a Research Assistant on a range of educational projects at the Psychological Service of North Lanarkshire Council. Her research interests include: education; children and young people; parenting and early years; food and nutrition; and smoking cessation.

She has particular expertise in the evaluation of services and initiatives and has undertaken several mixed method studies of this kind. She also has a keen interest in qualitative research and has been involved in a range of methodologies including: depth interviews, focus groups, reconvened focus groups, deliberative events and website usability interviews.

Examples of projects she has worked on include: A consultation on the next generation of National Qualifications in Scotland; the Scottish Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (2008 and 2010); an Evaluation of 'You First'; an Evaluation of 'Family Futures'; an Evaluation of the Free School Meal Trial; a study to test the 'eatwell' resource; and an Evaluation of Smokeline.

Steven Hope, Managing Director

Steven Hope has worked in social research in Scotland for more than 20 years since graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with a degree in Social Sciences. This has included periods in academic research, in local government, urban regeneration and commercial contract research. In addition to his degree he has an MSc in Social and Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh.

He has worked on projects involving a range of research methods across a wide range of policy areas including transport choices, driver behaviour, customer satisfaction, housing, urban policy and rural affairs. His particular interest is in research methodology, especially the design, management and analysis of large population surveys. He has been closely involved in the design and assessment of Scotland's major social surveys including the Scottish Household Survey, which he has managed since 2000, the Scottish House Condition Survey, and the Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey.

Christopher McLean, Research Executive

Chris joined Ipsos MORI in February 2009, having graduated from Strathclyde University with a BA Honours in Journalism and Creative Writing and Politics, and an MSc in Investigative Journalism.

Chris has worked on a range of qualitative and quantitative projects for public and private sector clients. His main area of interest is political opinion polling and his experience includes work on our quarterly Scottish Public Opinion Monitor and a poll for BBC Scotland examining attitudes towards public spending cuts. Chris also has experience of research in the environment, education and health sectors, as well as employee research. Recent projects include: mixed-methods research for the British Council Scotland on Muslim integration in Scotland; a longitudinal postal survey of a cohort of graduates for the Scottish Funding Council; and employee research for City of Edinburgh Council, Culture and Sport Glasgow and REpower UK.

 

Chris Martin, Associate Director

Chris has an MSc. in Social Research Methods from the University of Surrey, and an MA (Hons) in History from the University of Edinburgh.

He joined Ipsos MORI Scotland in 2006 from TNS Social where he spent six years managing a variety of different research projects. His main research interests are education, housing, environmental attitudes and behaviours, and psephology. Recent projects include; the Scottish Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours Survey 2008 and a qualitative study into the public’s views on Energy Efficiency. Chris has particular experience of all aspects of large-scale quantitative data collection and analysis. He is the project manager of the Scottish House Condition Survey 2007-2011, and recently completed a study examining the feasibility of extending the definition of the household income measures in the SHCS and the SHS using imputation.

Previously he worked as a research fellow at the Centre for Educational Sociology, University of Edinburgh on a variety of projects, and as a statistician at Scottish Homes. Chris is a past committee member of the Social Research Association (SRA) and has lead SRA courses on sampling methods.

Lorraine Murray, Deputy Managing Director

Lorraine has a first class honours degree from the University of Aberdeen and an MSc in Applied Social Research from the University of Stirling. She worked for System Three Social Research for a number of years before joining Ipsos MORI Scotland in 2005.

Her main research interests are children and young people; parenting and early years; and health, wellbeing and lifestyle choices (diet, physical activity, smoking, drinking and drug use).

Lorraine has directed many mixed-method evaluations including the ‘You First’ parenting programme, the Sex Offender Community Disclosure Pilot, Return Home Welfare Interviews for Young Runaways in Grampian, and the Free School Meal Trial for Pupils in Primary 1 to 3. She also has a particular interest in the cognitive testing of survey instruments and has conducted a large body of work in preparation for the 2011 Census, research to develop and test the GP Access Survey, and testing of the ballot paper for the 2012 Local Government elections.

Kate Sewel, Senior Research Executive

Kate joined Ipsos MORI Scotland in 2007 from the University of Glasgow where she is completing a PhD examining approaches to drug prevention with young people in Scotland. Prior to this, she gained an MA (Hons) in Social Policy from the University of Glasgow and an MSc by Research (Social Policy) from the University of Edinburgh. Before joining Ipsos MORI, Kate worked with the Scottish Executive on alcohol policy, and for the Health Promotion Policy Unit (University of Glasgow) on Drug Prevention, Smoking Cessation, and the National Evaluation of Health Action Zones.

Since joining Ipsos MORI, Kate has continued to pursue her interests in research relating to young people. Recent examples of projects she had worked on include the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (in addition to monitoring substance use among young people in Scotland, the survey is designed to obtain data on other lifestyle, health, and social factors); the Evaluation of Campus Police Officers (investigating the role and effectiveness of police officers in schools); a project exploring capacity in Scotland's Colleges and On Track, a longitudinal survey of students for the Scottish Funding Council.

Kate is also experienced in undertaking employee and stakeholder research.

Steve Treanor, Senior Research Executive

Steve joined Ipsos MORI's graduate trainee programme in January 2007 after graduating with an MSc (with Distinction) in Applied Social Research and a BA (Hons) in Sociology and Marketing (First Class) from the University of Stirling. Prior to this, Steve worked as a research assistant on a number of projects in the Marketing Department at the University of Stirling.

Steve’s main research interests include: housing; transport and driver behaviour; identity; and the cognitive testing of survey instruments. Projects he has worked on include: a large body of work undertaking cognitive testing of questions for the 2011 census; research exploring the service priorities of tenants of social landlords; and the Scottish Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours Survey (2008). In addition, Steve is a member of the core teams working on the annual Members of Scottish Parliament Survey and the Scottish House Condition Survey.

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