ENGLISH CHURCHES AND THEIR WEBSITESSara Batts2009-2010

What is a church?

Anglican43%

Baptist6%

Catholic10%

Methodist16%

New3%

Orthodox1% Pentecostal

6%URC4%

Others4%

Independent6%

English church denominations

Figures from Brierley (2006) based on 2005 church census

First Year Aims & objectives Identifying sources

academic & non-academic

Initial literature review Size & method for longitudinal study Planning future work Training

Context Church

attendance decreasing

Internet access increasing

US and Asian research

Online church & NRM

This study focus is:

UK research Producers

Research Questions

How are churches using websites? Variation by denomination Web 2.0 & collaboration Decision makers and gatekeepers Theological influences

Actions from year 1

Justification Terminology Objectivity

Sampling Catholicism Second Life

Research (1)Longitudinal study: All English churches400 churches

Will proportions change over time?

Second phase completed January 2010 Anglican Baptist Catholic Methodist

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80Phase 1 site foundPhase 2 site found

Research (2)

Category definition Categories piloted Defined sampling frame Actual n being

determined

Content analysis: East Anglian churches

Training & writing Meeting training requirement

7 days’ equivalent training Vitae workshop Library conferences

Draft methods chapter Draft literature review updated and

reassessed

Plan of work 2010-2011March

Data collection software

Content analysis final pilot

April-June

Content analysis data collection (East Anglian)

July-August

3rd phase All England data

collection Content analysis data collection

How to find interviewees

September-October

Content analysis data collection

Assimilate results & outline results chapter

November-December

Data analysis

Draft results chapter

3rd year report

4th phase All England data

collection

January

3rd year report

Draft results chapter

PGR requirement

Update literature search

Review project plan &

aims & objectives

Update methods