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National Study of Youth and Religion Launches Survey

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The National Study of Youth and Religion, a four-year sociological research project being conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has launched its own major telephone survey. The study, which is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., is researching the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of U.S. adolescents ages 13-17.

Dr. Christian S. Smith, principal investigator, and Melinda L. Denton, project manager, monitor progress on the National Study of Youth and Religion telephone survey.

This is one of the more ambitious studies of its kind, according to Dr. Christian Smith. "Our survey is the most extensive and detailed random-digit-dial telephone study of parent-teen pairs that has been conducted on the subject of religion and spirituality," he said. Smith, professor and associate chair of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the principal investigator of the study.

FGI interviewers conduct the National Study of Youth and Religion telephone survey. "FGI's interviewers are doing a great job with our long and complex survey," said Christian Smith, principal investigator.

The telephone survey is conducted in two parts. "The first section involves questions answered by a parent or guardian in the household," explained Melinda L. Denton, project manager and Ph.D. graduate student in sociology. "Following that 20-minute questionnaire, the questions turn to teen respondents. The teen portion of the survey takes about 40 minutes to complete."

Conducting the survey is FGI, a social research firm based in Chapel Hill, N.C. FGI is utilizing Quancept data collection technology to complete the survey. This survey methodology screens for households containing youth ages 13-17. "Early signs on this survey are very good," Smith reported. "FGI's interviewers are doing a great job with our long and complex survey, and respondents seem to be enjoying answering our questions."

The survey is expected to be completed in December 2024.

8-6-02
The National Study of Youth and Religion, a four-year sociological research project being conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has launched its own major telephone survey. The study, which is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., is researching the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of U.S. adolescents ages 13-17. This is one of the more ambitious studies of its kind, according to Dr. Christian Smith. "Our survey is the most extensive and detailed random-digit-dial telephone study of parent-teen pairs that has been conducted on the subject of religion and spirituality," he said. Smith, professor and associate chair of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the principal investigator of the study. The telephone survey is conducted in two parts. "The first section involves questions answered by a parent or guardian in the household," explained Melinda L. Denton, project manager and Ph.D. graduate student in sociology. "Following that 20-minute questionnaire, the questions turn to teen respondents. The teen portion of the survey takes about 40 minutes to complete." Conducting the survey is FGI, a social research firm based in Chapel Hill, N.C. FGI is utilizing Quancept data collection technology to complete the survey. This survey methodology screens for households containing youth ages 13-17. "Early signs on this survey are very good," Smith reported. "FGI's interviewers are doing a great job with our long and complex survey, and respondents seem to be enjoying answering our questions." The survey is expected to be completed in December 2024.
National Study of Youth and Religion


The National Study of Youth and Religion, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., is under the direction of Dr. Christian Smith, Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame, and Dr. Lisa Pearce, Assistant Professor of Sociology at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.