Experts are to study crime rates, racial segregation and social inequality across Scotland as part of a £4 million research initiative.

Attitudes to Scottish independence in the run-up to next year's referendum will also come under scrutiny as part of the four-year project led by the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The Applied Quantitative Methods Network Research Centre, based at Edinburgh University's School of Law, aims to investigate pressing social issues and help policymakers improve public services.

Programme director Professor Susan McVie will lead research on crime and victimisation that will explore the drop in crime rates in Scotland over the past 30 years.

Her team will study whether some areas have seen greater reductions than others, as well as the social, economic and environmental factors that influence offending.

Dr Cristina Iannelli, from the Edinburgh University's Moray House School of Education, will look at how social inequalities in higher education affect people's job prospects and civic participation.

Professor Lindsay Paterson, from the School of Social and Political Science, will explore the attitudes of the public towards the referendum debate.

The research will include a survey of teenagers who will be aged 16 at the referendum and will be able to vote for the first time, as well as examining the impact of social media on public attitudes.

Professor Gwilym Pryce, from Glasgow University, will study how and why some cities are often segregated by race, religion and social class.