This dataset contains the coding of the sources that appeared or were openly referenced in all news items about the 2014 Scottish independence referendum which were broadcast on BBC Reporting Scotland between 18 August and 18 September 2014. The file records the name of each source, the duration of their appearance or quotation, their gender, the side they supported in the referendum, the source category they belonged in (elite official; expert; non-elite official; unofficial; confidential; unaccounted), whether they were interviewed or paraphrased; whether they were identified by name or in generic terms; whether they were used once or multiple times in the same item; and whether they proposed new arguments or responded to someone else's. The news programmes themselves are available from the broadcaster. These data complement the interview dataset and the frame analysis dataset by showing which sources were used in the news coverage, and were therefore given explicitly the opportunity to promote their own frames of what the referendum was about. The other two datasets(See Related resources below) explore which frames were present in the coverage and how these frames emerged based on the experiences of broadcasters and their political and civil society sources.On 18 September 2014, the Scottish electorate will be called to answer a fundamental question about the future of the UK and Scotland: the decision of whether Scotland will become an independent state or remain a part of the UK will have an impact not only on the relationship between the British nations but also on other parts of Europe with similar concerns. Yet, as is the case with any contested issue, the definition of what this referendum is about will be negotiated between political and social groups, debated in the media and deliberated by voters before making their decision. Is the referendum a competition between two opponents fighting for the vote? Is it a matter of identity (shared or distinctive)? Is it a matter of economic survival and growth? This research will examine how the 2014 Scottish independence referendum campaign is framed in the news coverage of the two main television channels catering for audiences in Central Scotland, BBC Scotland and STV. The importance of television as a trusted source of news on political issues is constantly reaffirmed by surveys (Ofcom, 2013, Eurobarometer, 2012) and therefore what television says about a major political event is significant. The study will focus on Scottish news and current affairs coverage referring to the referendum in the final month of the campaign, create an original set of frames emerging from the coverage and measure which of them were more prominent. The project will also use structured interviews with political editors, heads of news and current affairs, political and civil society actors, to discuss how these representations were shaped in the interaction between journalists, media organisations and their sources. The project will contribute to public analysis of the news coverage of the referendum in the aftermath of the event and create opportunities for stakeholders to discuss how broadcasting contributes to the democratic process, through the way it reports on campaigns.

All the items specified above were watched and coded for the sources that appeared or were mentioned during each programme. The categories into which sources were classified were as follows. Elite official sources: political and state institutions, official political campaigns, major corporate, business and economic organisations, major NGOs, celebrities, royalty, news agencies and other news media. Non-elite official sources: smaller non-profit and non-governmental organisations (charities, voluntary organisations, associations, societies, communities), interest, activist and pressure groups, trade unions, small businesses. Experts: academics and scientists, observers and specialists, analysts, think tanks, former politicians, former public officials. Unofficial sources: ordinary people, voters, workers (lower level staff), vox populi, survey respondents, protesters, demonstrators, rioters, hecklers, observers and participants in unusual activities. Confidential sources: unnamed, e.g. according to 'well-informed sources'.