Promoting Research and Discovery on Global Religion

This project aligns closely with Sir John’s donor intent by proposing to 1) stimulate research that results in the discovery of new spiritual information and 2) disseminate the new information and research findings to diverse audiences. We will reach these lofty goals by building on the resources, networks and outreach of the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA). We will stimulate research by providing quality data and proven measures that address the Big Questions posed by Sir John and will disseminate the data, measures and research results through many outlets. This project will provide quality data by adding 100 new data files to the ARDA, with many of the files being international in scope and all having measures of religion and spirituality. We also will develop an extensive cross-national file that allows us to graph changes in religion over time by nations and regions and to map out recent variations. Both the archive and the new online tools will be readily accessible, open to evaluation and free of charge. We also will compile a database of virtually all of the major scales measuring religion. These scales will be included in ARDA’s Measurement Wizard Scales feature where they can be easily accessed and evaluated online. Further, they will be included in a 2nd volume of Measures of Religiosity, where additional commentary will be offered. These new resources will be widely disseminated, will stimulate more inter-disciplinary research and will make the research more efficient and cost effective. Finally, the ARDA’s Ahead of the Trend column, GlobalPlus resources, social media posts and seminars at major universities will all disseminate recent research findings to a general audience across the globe. These resources have a proven record of wide dissemination and global influence. International journalists, in particular, rely heavily on these and other ARDA resources.