July 2024 Newsletter

Thank you for reading our newsletter and taking an interest in the ARDA. We are excited to continue our mission of bringing you free, high-quality data on religion.

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Ahead of the Trend:



Check out the newest Ahead of the Trend columns by Dr. Ryan Burge here:


-What Does It Mean to Be "Religious"? Consider this post as a little mini-lecture about how academics think about the measurement of religiosity. And also check out this module from the ARDA with a bunch more information about measuring religiosity.


-Who Is Attending Online Church?

For some houses of worship, online services became an essential part of their ministry during COVID. Now, many don't know what to do with that online audience.

Data Sets Added:



We are excited to announce that we added six new data sets:


-Catholics in Australia 2022


-Historical Religious Structure


-Little Rock Congregations Study 2018, Survey of Clergy Members


-Little Rock Congregations Study 2018, Survey of Nonprofits


-Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey, 2022


-Study of Spirituality in the United States, Cumulative File (2020 and 2022)



Looking for even more data? Here are some helpful ARDA links:

-Categorized list of all data files

-Newest additions

Updated Data Set:



Recently, the ARDA updated the General Social Survey, 2022 after updates from NORC.


The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed to be part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies.

Social Media Conversations:


Last month, we posted about the Scopes Trial, Lottie Moon's missionary journey, the founding of the Nation of Islam, and a new online course: Exploring Religion.


We also regularly post about conferences, new research, podcasts, lectures, and other opportunities of interest to our readers.


Want to join the conversations? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Feature of the Month:


Measurements


Sociologists, psychologists, health researchers, economists and other social and behavioral scientists know about the importance of proper measurement. The Measurements feature provides a tool for comparing and evaluating measures of religion, spirituality and other related measures. Access Measurements here.

Free Online "Exploring Religion" Course Materials:


If you are an instructor returning to the classroom, check out our brand-new Online Course! It is free for instructors to adapt for their own use. Exploring Religion is a college-level online course that allows students to learn more about America's diverse religious landscape and discover the shape of religion around the world. Students will explore religion data for themselves with ARDA learning modules and watch interviews with prominent religion scholars. Suggested research projects and readings are included too.

Historical Maps:


The ARDA recently added a new map tool. Historical Maps are interactive U.S. maps of religion affiliation and other topics from 1770-1930 with state rankings. Other map tools that can be found on the ARDA are U.S. State and U.S. County maps.

Anniversaries of Historical Events:


In July, there are many anniversaries of significant events in religious history. These include Jonathan Edwards Preaches "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (1741), Brigham Young Leading the Mormons to Utah (1847), and Marjorie Matthews Elected First Female Bishop (1980).


In addition to reading about these single events, you can delve into substantially more religious history by viewing any of our nine interactive timelines. These include specific timelines dedicated to religious groups, women, race/ethnicity, and more.

The ARDA is pleased to announce that the wave one non-sensitive data for the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) is now available for access. You may request data (global or by country) through preregistration at any time from now onwards. Visit the GFS website for more information about the study, browse resources from Gallup and the Center for Open Science, and learn about data access through the Global Flourishing Study Registry. You can also access the GFS website through The ARDA and consider using The ARDA-housed data for comparative analyses.


The GFS, a partnership among Gallup, COS, and researchers at Baylor University and Harvard University, is a $43.4 million, five-year study of 200,000 individuals in 22 countries. The GFS data will be an open-access resource for researchers, journalists, policymakers, and educators worldwide.


While several studies have tracked respondents over time in a single country, the scope and breadth of GFS is unprecedented.


The sample dataset release offers a first glimpse into data that will yield valuable insights over the next several years.


Researchers can access GFS data in three ways:

  • Preregistration: Preregister an analysis plan now to receive early access to the full dataset available in the coming months at cos.io/gfs.
  • Registered Report: Early access is also available to those that submit a Registered Report to a journal. With Registered Reports, a journal reviews the preregistration plan and agrees to publish the findings regardless of the outcome, protecting against publication bias.
  • Public release: Those wishing to receive the data without preregistration can access the non-sensitive data on the first anniversary of data release for each wave. Access to sensitive data will require institutional review board approval.


For more information on GFS’s data access, visit: cos.io/gfs and Sign up for updates.

Submitting Data to the ARDA:


Do you have a data source that you would like to store in our archive? The process is safe, easy, and convenient. We even have resources to reimburse you for your time. Get the process started by clicking on the link below. If you know of a data source that you'd like us to pursue, please let us know at support@thearda.com. Download the submission form here.

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