Skip to navigation Skip to content

SEGS research notes and reports

Researchers in SEGS often create a short research notes or briefings, to communicate the findings of research projects. Please click on the titles below to view a selection of research notes and briefings.

Evaluation of Scottish Rural Action

Dr Margaret Currie and Dr Daniel Fisher, 2019

The James Hutton Institute was asked by the Scottish Government to evaluate Scottish Rural Action. The Scottish Government requested this independent evaluation before determining future funding to Scottish Rural Action. The aim was to get feedback on achievements and future vision and Scottish Rural Action’s relationship with the Scottish Government to ascertain with key stakeholders’ future visions for the organisation. Recommendations provide suggestions as to how Scottish Rural Action can improve understanding for others about what they can do that is different to other organisations, specifically to host Rural Parliaments and capture and advocate the rural voice through a rural movement.

Image of Trees in a parkInvestigating use of the outdoors across adult population groups in Scotland

Dr Kathryn Colley and Dr Kate Irvine, 2018

Spending time outdoors in natural environments is associated with a range of physical and mental health and wellbeing benefits. Questions, however, remain around how the benefits of nature contact are distributed across the population. This 2-page Research Summary present the results of research investigating disparities in outdoor recreation participation rates across adult population groups in Scotland and considers the implications of these findings for understanding inequalities in outdoor access. 

What does success look like in community resilience?

Dr Margaret Currie, Dr Annie McKee, Dr Annabel Pinker, Dr Elliot Meador, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Dr Marianna Markantoni (SRUC).

This is a report of the first knowledge exchange workshop of the ‘Local Assets, Local Decisions and Community Resilience’research project, which is funded by the Scottish Government, as part of the 2016 - 2021 Strategic Research Programme. The workshop, whose discussion is summarised in the report, aimed to:

  • Engage community representatives and other organisations who work on community resilience with the current research programme.
  • Develop a better understanding of: what the concept of ‘resilience’ means to those who live and work in rural communities in Scotland; why resilience is important; how participants can influence the direction of the research, and how useful outcomes for practitioners and policymakers can be provided.

Embedding the value of the natural environment in decision-making: overcoming barriers & encouraging enablers

Front cover of report on embedding the value of the natural environment into decision-making

Dr Kerry WaylenDr Kirsty BlackstockDr John Turnpenny (University of East Anglia), Professor Duncan Russel (University of Exeter) 2016

This briefing note identifies a set of ‘sticking points’ that researchers at the James Hutton Institute, University of East Anglia and University of Exeter believe inhibit the consideration of the natural environment in decision-making. Despite increasing interest in the concept of natural capital and ecosystem services across the public, private and third sector, this is not always reflected in decision-making. These sticking points may explain why more progress is not being made. They draw attention to the need to transform decision-making cultures.

Enhancing uptake of best practice in agriculture

Dr Katrin Prager, 2016

Group extension is an increasingly popular approach to providing farm advisory services. The expectation is that the uptake of innovations and best practices is promoted by enhancing opportunities for farmer-to-farmer learning.

Recent research compared livestock monitor farms funded under the Scottish Monitor Farm Programme to discussion groups within the Beef Technology Adoption Programme (BTAP) in Ireland. The research has identified key success factors in the design of group extension programmes to enhance uptake of best farming practices.

Understanding outdoor nature experiences and wellbeing

Kathryn Colley, Anna Conniff, Tony Craig, Margaret Currie, Liz Dinnie, Katherine N. Irvine and Petra Lackova, 2016

This research note provides a brief overview of examples of recent projects on the outdoors and wellbeing by the James Hutton Institute. It aims to give a flavour of how our transdisciplinary research contributes to the evidence base in this area as well as to outline future directions for outdoors-wellbeing research in the Scottish Government's Rural Affairs, Food and Environment (RAFE) Strategic Research Programme.

SMEs in the Small Towns and the Rural Areas of Scotland

Dr Andrew Copus

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 99% of registered enterprises in Scotland, slightly more than half of private-sector employment, and almost 40% of associated turnover. SMEs are key components in the ongoing process of diversification and structural adjustment of the rural economy. This research note explores the changing economic fabric of rural Scotland, using the Inter-Departmental Business Register. This is a database monitoring the population of enterprises, together with their employment and turnover.

Community Councils in Aberdeenshire: Achievements and Challenges 

Dr Katrin Prager and Kirsty Holstead, 2016

In the context of the Community Empowerment (Scot) Act 2015, Community Councils are seen as a mechanism to empower communities. Here we report the findings of an in-depth study of Community Councils in Aberdeenshire which explored their achievements and challenges and linkages to other community groups and the Local Authority.

 

Socio-Economic Performance in Rural and Small Town Scotland

Dr Andrew Copus, 2015

This note presented an index of rural social and economic performance, and considers what hints may be gleaned from it regarding the changing geography of socioeconomic performance of rural and small-town Scotland.

Regional employment growth in Scotland: 2001-2011

Dr Patricia Melo and Dr Nico Vellinga, 2015

This note explored regional disparities in employment growth between 2001 and 2011 using shift-share analysis, a method which allows us to differentiate between regional growth arising from national trends, a region’s economic structure (industry mix), and regional competitiveness in local industries (local share).

 

Are rural residents happier?

Alana Gilbert & Professor Deborah Roberts, 2014

This research investigated whether there is evidence of higher levels of subjective wellbeing in rural areas of Scotland after controlling for individual characteristics of residents and by distinguishing between residents in accessible and remote rural parts of the country.

Research

Areas of Interest


Printed from /research/segs-research-notes-and-reports on 28/03/24 10:09:00 AM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.