One of the standard tools for those of us who work in church and culture research is the Association of Religion Data Archives.

They recently announced some upgraded functionalities:

THE ARDA INTRODUCES NEW LOOK AND NEW FEATURES

The Association of Religion Data Archives is excited to announce a new look and many new features. Two of the most significant new features are GIS U.S. Maps and the Learning Center.

Partnering with Social Explorer (www.socialexplorer.com), the ARDA now provides a U.S. Maps tool that allows for interactive mapping of demographic data by census tracts and religious adherence data by counties. All of the GIS maps allow for zooming, moving, and searching across locations and let you create customized demographic and religious reports.

You will also find an expanded Learning Center. The Learning Center contains many new Learning Modules for classroom use and now includes a Dictionary of Religious and Statistical Terms. The new Center also offers multiple interactive tools, including the Compare Yourself Survey that allows students and others to compare themselves to the U.S. population on a variety of religious indicators. A more complete overview of the many new features and upgrades is provided below.

Learning Center…includes downloadable Learning Modules, a Glossary of Religious and Statistical Terms, and multiple interactive tools.

GIS Mapping…using tools developed by Social Explorer, GIS maps allow you to visually see the social, economic, demographic, and religious landscape of neighborhoods, cities, states, regions, and the entire United States.

Multi-Country Comparisons…easily select up to seven nations to receive a comparison of their social, demographic, economic, and religious characteristics.

Compare Yourself Survey … allows individuals' to see how their answers compare to other Americans taking a national survey.

Denominational QuickStats…centralized location for information on U.S. denominations. Includes information on mergers and schisms, membership data, changes over time, and distribution across the country.

New Data … data and other information were updated in our National Profiles and our U.S. Denominations feature.

New Design …The homepage now provides easy access to some of the most popular resources on the ARDA site. Using drop-down menus, the new homepage now allows for faster access to the ARDA's various content and tools.

The Association of Religion Data Archives
Authoritative Information Made Accessible
www.theARDA.com