Recent Additions

Southern Focus Poll, Oversample Survey, Spring 1996 (Uploaded: 12/19/2008): Southerners tend to slip through the cracks between state surveys, which are unreliable for generalizing to the region, on the one hand, and national sample surveys, which usually contain too few Southerners to allow detailed examination, on the other. Moreover, few surveys routinely include questions specifically about the South.

To remedy this situation, the Institute for Research in Social Science and the Center for the Study of the American South sponsor a Southern regional survey, called the Southern Focus Poll. Respondents in both the South and Non-South are asked questions about economic conditions in their communities; cultural issues, (such as Southern accent and the Confederate flag), race relations, religious involvement, and characteristics of Southerners and Northerners.
This file is an oversample for African Americans in the South..

All of the data sets from the Southern Focus Polls archived here are generously made available by the Institute for Research in Social Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (IRSS).
Religious Fundamentalism Scale, 1987 (Uploaded: 12/19/2008): The Computer Administered Panel Study (CAPS) collected demographic, personality, attitudinal, and other social psychological data from annual samples of University of North Carolina undergraduates from 1983 through 1988. Respondents spent 60 to 90 minutes per week for 20 weeks during the academic year answering questions via computer terminals. In their comparison of demographic and academic variables, researchers found few significant differences between respondents and the general undergraduate population. This dataset contains the Religious Fundamentalism Scale, which measures religious fundamentalism among Christians – a construct similar to "orthodoxy" as conceived by some other researchers. Additional information about the survey can be found at: http://152.2.32.107/odum/content/pdf/capshandout0800.pdf. Additional modules are available for free download through the Odum Institute's electronic archive, http://152.2.32.107/odum/jsp/content_node.jsp?nodeid=7.
Religious Attitude, Self-Consciousness, Self-Monitoring Scales, 1988 (Uploaded: 12/19/2008): The Computer Administered Panel Study (CAPS) collected demographic, personality, attitudinal, and other social psychological data from annual samples of University of North Carolina undergraduates from 1983 through 1988. Respondents spent 60 to 90 minutes per week for 20 weeks during the academic year answering questions via computer terminals. In their comparison of demographic and academic variables, researchers found few significant differences between respondents and the general undergraduate population. This dataset contains the Religious Attitude, Self-Consciousness Scale and the Self-Monitoring Scale. The Fenigstein Self-Consciousness Scale is a measure of the consistent tendency of persons to direct attention inward or outward. The Snyder Self-Monitoring Scale purports to measure individual differences in concern about the appropriateness of social behavior and attention to or use of situational cues for monitoring self-presentation.
Southern Focus Poll, South Survey, Fall 1999 (Uploaded: 12/19/2008): Southerners tend to slip through the cracks between state surveys, which are unreliable for generalizing to the region, on the one hand, and national sample surveys, which usually contain too few Southerners to allow detailed examination, on the other. Moreover, few surveys routinely include questions specifically about the South.

To remedy this situation, the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science and the Center for the Study of the American South sponsor a Southern regional survey, called the Southern Focus Poll. Respondents in both the South and non-South are asked questions about economic conditions in their communities, cultural issues (such as Southern accent and the Confederate flag), race relations, religious involvement, and characteristics of Southerners and Northerners.

All of the data sets from the Southern Focus Polls archived here are generously made available by the Odum Institute for Research in Social Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (OIRSS).
Presbyterian Panel Study, 2000-2002 - Demographic Information, Clergy (Uploaded: 11/10/2008): The Presbyterian Panel began in 1973 and is an ongoing panel study in which mailed questionnaires are used to survey representative samples of constituency groups of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These constituency groups include members, elders, pastors serving in a congregation, and specialized clergy serving elsewhere. Panels are re-sampled every three years. The main goal of this study is to gather broad information about Presbyterians in terms of their faith (beliefs, church background, and levels of church involvement), and their social, economic, and demographic characteristics (age, sex, marital status, living arrangements, etc.).
Presbyterian Panel Study, 2000-2002 - Demographic Information, Members and Elders (Uploaded: 11/10/2008): The Presbyterian Panel began in 1973 and is an ongoing panel study in which mailed questionnaires are used to survey representative samples of constituency groups of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These constituency groups include members, elders, pastors serving in a congregation, and specialized clergy serving elsewhere. Panels are re-sampled every three years. The main goal of this study is to gather broad information about Presbyterians in terms of their faith (beliefs, church background, and levels of church involvement), and their social, economic, and demographic characteristics (age, sex, marital status, living arrangements, etc.).
General Social Survey, 1996 (Uploaded: 11/10/2008): The General Social Surveys (GSS) have been conducted by the National Opinion Research Center annually since 1972 except for the years 1979, 1981, and 1992 (a supplement was added in 1992), and biennially beginning in 1994. The GSS are designed as part of a program of social indicator research, replicating questionnaire items and wording in order to facilitate time-trend studies. Items on religion include religious preference, church attendance, beliefs about the Bible, attitudes toward organized religion and its opponents, and more. In addition, it contains a special module examining respondents' images of God. The survey also contains topical modules on national identity, the role of government, and mental health.
World Values Survey, Aggregate Data (Uploaded: 11/10/2008): "The World Values Survey is a worldwide investigation of sociocultural and political change. It is conducted by a network of social scientist at leading universities all around world.

Interviews have been carried out with nationally representative samples of the publics of more than 80 societies on all six inhabited continents. A total of four waves have been carried out since 1981 making it possible to carry out reliable global cross-cultural analyses and analysis of changes over time. The World Values Survey has produced evidence of gradual but pervasive changes in what people want out of life. Moreover, the survey shows that the basic direction of these changes is, to some extent, predictable.

This project is being carried out by an international network of social scientists, with local funding for each survey (though in some cases, it has been possible to raise supplementary funds from outside sources). In exchange for providing the data from interviews with a representative national sample of at least 1,000 people in their own society, each participating group gets immediate access to the data from all of the other participating societies. Thus, they are able to compare the basic values and beliefs of the people of their own society with those of more than 60 other societies. In addition, they are invited to international meetings at which they can compare findings and interpretations with other members of the WVS network." (Source: http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/organization/background.html)
U.S. Congregational Life Survey, 2001, Fast-Growing Presbyterian Attenders (Uploaded: 9/19/2008): Over 300,000 worshipers in over 2,000 congregations across America participated in the U.S. Congregational Life Survey—-making it the largest survey of worshipers in America ever conducted. Three types of surveys were completed in each participating congregation: (a) an Attendee survey completed by all worshipers age 15 and older who attended worship services during the weekend of April 29, 2001; (b) a Congregational Profile describing the congregation’s facilities, staff, programs, and worship services completed by one person in the congregation; and (c) a Leader Survey completed by the pastor, priest, minister, rabbi, or other leader. Together the information collected provides a unique three-dimensional look at religious life in America.” (From Appendix 1, A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations: Who’s Going Where and Why. U.S. Congregational Life Survey Methodology.) Three different groups of Presbyterian Congregations were sampled: Presbyterian, Racial Ethnic/Multicultural Presbyterian, and Fast Growing Presbyterian. This data file contains data for Presbyterian (USA) Growing Attenders only. The Congregational Life Survey also has a Congregational profile for Presbyterian (USA) Growing congregations and a Leader survey of Presbyterian (USA) growing leaders.
U.S. Congregational Life Survey, 2001, Racial Ethnic Presbyterian, Profile (Uploaded: 9/19/2008): “Over 300,000 worshipers in over 2,000 congregations across America participated in the U.S. Congregational Life Survey—-making it the largest survey of worshipers in America ever conducted. Three types of surveys were completed in each participating congregation: (a) an Attendee survey completed by all worshipers age 15 and older who attended worship services during the weekend of April 29, 2001; (b) a Congregational Profile describing the congregation’s facilities, staff, programs, and worship services completed by one person in the congregation; and (c) a Leader Survey completed by the pastor, priest, minister, rabbi, or other leader. Together the information collected provides a unique three-dimensional look at religious life in America.” (From Appendix 1, A Field Guide to U.S. Congregations: Who’s Going Where and Why. U.S. Congregational Life Survey Methodology.) This data file contains data for the Congregational Profile for the Racial Ethnic Presbyterian congregations. The Congregational Life Survey also has a Leader survey of the Racial Ethnic Presbyterian leaders and an Attender survey of the Racial Ethnic Presbyterian worshipers.

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