Methodology

A questionnaire with closed- and open-ended questions was distributed to all congregations and made available on the Search and Nomination website, conforming with a "Survey Sunday" model. Parishioners completed and returned the questionnaire to their congregation on Sunday, June 23 or Sunday, June 30, or mailed it to a central location. Approximately 4250 questionnaires were mailed out, with 1506 returned by the processing deadline. A sub-sample of 427 surveys received after the processing deadline was coded for open-ended responses only.

Accurate response rate calculations are impossible to derive, as there was no attempt to control dissemination and return of the survey instrument. All congregations received surveys, and all were encouraged to photocopy as necessary. Some respondents chose to download and print the survey from Search Process website.

However, taking into account the total number of completed surveys, a total of 1933 New Hampshire Episcopalians actively participated in the data collection phase of discernment. This sample represents 37% of the 5209 active churchgoers, and 9% of all 16,836 baptized members of the faith (Year 2000 data).

Data entry and tabulation were conducted by the Survey Research Center/ISPSS, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, under the supervision of Andrew Smith, Director, and Martha Belanger, Field Director