Research Approach and Methodology

Abstract

This project began with a simple question: Could scientific research help us understand and perhaps measure spiritual growth? In other words, could the same research tools used in the marketplace to measure consumer attitudes and behaviors also be used by local churches to measure the spiritual beliefs and behaviors of their congregations? We believed the answer was yes. We have refined our research over the course of four years, more than 200 churches and 80,000 individual surveys. While we re still in the early phases of our work, we feel confident that the research survey tool and analysis has proven capable of producing valid and valuable insight for church leaders. Here is a brief overview of our research approach and methodology. APPROACH Our approach focused on three key areas and questions related to those areas: • Segments: What are the different groups/segments of people the church might be looking to serve? • Needs: What spiritual growth needs are being met, not being met well or not being met at all for each segment? • Drivers and Barriers: What are the drivers of spiritual growth, and what are the barriers to spiritual growth? These three areas provided the framework around which we organized the information we collected. METHODOLOGY Broadly speaking, there are two types of research methodology: qualitative and quantitative. We used both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, and then employed analytical techniques and processes to review the data. Qualitative (Gathering Insights) This is typically a one-on-one process in which a researcher poses questions directly to an individual. The questions often ask not only for information and opinions but also allow the interviewer to probe the richness of emotions and motivations related to the topic. Researchers use qualitative data to help clarify hypotheses, beliefs, attitudes and motivations. Qualitative work is often a first step because it enables a researcher to fine-tune the language that will be used in quantitative tools. Quantitative (Establishing Statistical Reliability) This process utilizes detailed questionnaires often distributed to large numbers of people. Questions are typically multiple choice and participants choose the most appropriate response among those listed for each question. Quantitative research collects a huge amount of data, which can often be generalized to a larger population and allow