During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, online political communication showed distinct patterns influenced by polling data.

Data & Methods:

* Twitter messages from @YesScotland and @UK_Together were analyzed during June 16 to September 17, 2014.

Key Findings:

* Better Together employed more negative tweets when polling ahead.

* Yes Scotland escalated negativity following each debate with leaders.

Why It Matters:

This study reveals how campaign sentiment shifts differently across organizations despite shared data sources.