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The
CCP Digest
About CCP
CCP Methodology
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The
Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University
is committed to acquiring the most up-to-date and accurate information
and understanding of the opinions, attitudes, and behaviors of
Catholics in the United
States today. CARA is the national
leader in surveying Catholics with its annual CARA Catholic Poll (CCP),
an omnibus survey of U.S.
adult Catholics.
CARA is a national, non-profit, Georgetown University
affiliated research center that has been conducting social scientific
studies about and for the Catholic Church since its founding in 1964.
Unlike secular for-profit market research companies, CARA combines
first-rate methodology with experience and knowledge of the Catholic
Church. We use academic standards for sampling and weighting, multiple
language interviews, and follow-ups to ensure that the research
accurately reflects all aspects of the actual adult Catholic
population.
CARA research has been cited in more than 600 news stories since 2000.
CARA’s surveys are an integral part of our mission to increase the
Church's self understanding; to serve the applied research needs of
Church decision-makers; and to advance scholarly research on
Catholicism. All CARA researchers have earned graduate degrees in the
social sciences at major research universities and are Georgetown University faculty members
active in their academic community through publishing and presenting
research. As social scientists, our policy is to provide reliable,
accurate, and objective research without taking advocacy positions.
The inspiration for CARA’s research and service to the Church is drawn
from Gaudium Et Spes (1965): “In pastoral care, sufficient use
must be made not only of theological principles, but also the findings
of the secular sciences, especially of psychology and sociology, so
that the faithful may be brought to a more accurate and mature life of
faith.”
For more information about CARA’s background read the following Review
of Religious Research article from 1967 by Francis X. Gannon
entitled, "Bridging
the Research Gap: CARA, Response to Vatican II." CARA has had
a long tradition of producing quality survey research. CARA created the
Value
Systems Study Group of the Americas in 1981 as part of the initial
wave of the World Values Survey.
We hope our research and the CCP can be of assistance to you. If you
have any questions or inquiries please contact Mark Gray by
phone at 202-687-0885 or by email at mmg34@georgetown.edu.
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