Methodology & data governance

The Religious & Spiritual Life Census is designed so that honest participation carries no privacy cost. This page describes exactly what we collect, what we don't, and how results are reported.(Scaffold copy — final language to be supplied before launch.)

Anonymity by design

• No name, email, or ASU ID is collected anywhere in the survey.
• The optional raffle uses a completely separate form; incentive entries are never joined to survey responses.
• IP logging is disabled in the survey tool.
• The census pages set no cookies and load no analytics scripts.

What our database stores

Our own database contains zero survey answers. It stores exactly three things per response: the organization link used to reach the survey (for the leaderboard), an anonymous submission id (to prevent double counting), and a timestamp. Full responses remain inside the survey platform and are exported only after the census closes, for offline aggregate analysis by the data custodian.

Reporting rules

• Aggregate reporting only; raw data is never distributed to member organizations.
• Any reported cell smaller than n = 10 is suppressed or merged.
• This is a convenience sample, not a random sample; the published report states its limitations plainly.
• The instrument, field dates, and sampling method are published in the report appendix.

Custody & retention

• One named, non-student data custodian holds the raw export.
• Raw data is deleted after 24 months per the stated retention schedule.
• Questions about the census or this policy: cora.tempe@gmail.com.