Data themes: Religion

Resources for researching religion may include data from subscription databases, publicly available data portals or archived academic projects. Some suggestions are:

American Time Use Survey 2011
Data in this study measured the amount of time that people spent doing various activities in 2011, such as paid work, volunteering, socialising and religious activities.

Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA)
A data archive and resource that allows access to academic research on religion including surveys and membership reports and polls. Other features include national profiles, GIS maps, church membership overviews, denominational heritage trees, tables, charts, and other summary reports.

British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA)  
A survey that produces annual measures of attitudinal change, complementing information gathered from large-scale government surveys that deal largely with facts and behaviour patterns. The data collected reflects continuity and change in religious beliefs, background and attitude amongst other issues.

Community Life Survey
Conducted annually this survey looks at the latest trends in volunteering, charitable giving, local action and attitudes towards religion.

Global Indicators Database 
A resource developed by the Pew Research Center building on data and statistics from public opinion surveys it conducts around the world. It covers a broad array of subjects including religious affiliation, religious extremism, restrictions on religion and religious practices. Survey questions, topics and analysis are available for browsing.

Indiastat
A major resource for Indian data on health, higher education and economic trends. Statistics are also provided for religious demographics and observance.

Access: extra username/password required for this resource. Check WebLearn for details.

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
A major archive of social science research data that holds information predominately relating to the United States but also has some additional collections. Data is available on a range of relevant topics including religious affiliation, attitudes and discrimination.

Mass Observation Online
Access to material from the pioneering ethnographic project ‘Mass Observation’. It includes the entire File Report sequence 1937–1972, access to all of the Day Surveys, Directives and Diaries, 1937–1967 and Mass Observation Publications 1937–1965.  A searchable topic collection covers issues such as anti-Semitism and religion. The resource also includes interactive maps, bibliographic resources and essays on various aspects of Mass Observation.

UK Data Service  
An archive of social science research that, in collaboration with the UK Data Archive, makes data available from many key governmental surveys and academic research projects. Content may be downloaded or analysed online on various issues including race, economic wellbeing, voting behaviour and social attitudes.

World Christian Database (WCD)
Contains data on religious activities, growth rates, religious literature, worker activity, and demography. Additional secular data is included on population, health, education, languages, and communication. The data has been collected from published and unpublished sources, field work, interviews, and questionnaires returned by churches and national collaborators over the period 1982-present.

World Religion Database (WRD)
The major source for international religious demography, with current and historical data, as well as forecasts of future developments.

You can find further resources on this theme by using on Databases A-Z or SOLO and subject guides.

Recommendations for additions to these lists are always welcome. Please email the Bodleian Data Librarian with suggestions.