We research protest movements working to build a sustainable, just and humane world
Research methods
Public Opinion Polling
Commissioning respected pollsters, such as YouGov, to measure public opinion on key issues before and after large scale protest campaigns. You can see here an example of our polling work for Just Stop Oil, examining the radical flank effect.
About Social Change Lab
Social Change Lab conducts empirical research on protest and people-powered movements.
Protest movements have historically been crucial drivers of social change, yet little research and funding goes into understanding which strategies are most effective. We are the only research lab primarily dedicated to studying the impact of protest movements on public opinion, public discourse, and policy.
Through research reports, workshops, and trainings, we provide actionable insights to help movements and funders be more effective.
Our Work
How can protest movements be more effective? We approach this question through three key themes:
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Strategy: How do different protest strategies and tactics affect the likelihood of success?
Resources: What resources do protest movements need to be effective and how can they best access them?
Organisation: How do different ways of organising affect outcomes?
Featured Research
Protest and the Ballot Box
May 2025
Analysis of voting intention polls from the UK, Sweden, and Germany, exploring the impact of disruptive climate protests on electoral preferences.
January 2023 Research exploring success factors for protest movements. We examined factors such as numbers, nonviolence, diversity, external factors, the radical flank effect, and more.Â
