University of Kent's Professor Gordon Lynch has launched a comprehensive web
site focused on "Research Methods for the Study of Religion".
Designed to help graduate students write research proposals, this
site offers an overview of the field of Religious Studies
and appropriate methods to conduct empirical research.
Topics covered by Lynch's web site and training are:
Conceptualising religion for research
Key elements and processes of research design
The role of theory in social research
The politics and ethics of research
Sampling
Rigour and validity in research
Using quantitative data-sets for research on religion
Ethnographic approaches in theory and practice
Visual methods
Researching media
Each topic offers a discussion paper and bibliography on the focus. Lynch's
site is a great resource on the stop of understanding and evaluating the future
of religion.