How to access NCLS results and datasets
NCLS Research aims to encourage research and the dissemination of results in a range of ways.
• First, the researcher should review NCLS options and refine the request.
• Second, a Results Request form or a Data Request form should be completed and submitted to the NCLS Research office. info@ncls.org.au
• Third, the NCLS Research team will review the request and determine appropriate next steps.
Some requests will go to the NCLS Research Subcommittee if they are related to access to raw data, denominational differences, sensitive or material issues. The Subcommittee will make representation to the NCLS Board for deliberation.
Contact NCLS Research to make your request
Post: PO Box 92, North Ryde BC NSW 1670.
Phone: (02) 9139 2525
Email: info@ncls.org.au
We will provide you with the forms to complete.
Public domain results
Survey results that are in the public domain, such as on the NCLS website, are available on request and in many instances, free of charge.
Please cite your sources: It is always appropriate to attribute the work to NCLS Research authors and to cite the data sources correctly. If it is not clear how to do this, please contact the NCLS Research office for assistance, (info@ncls.org.au).
Denominational survey results: Survey results that have already been released as part of NCLS Denominational Church Life Profiles are also available on request, provided that permission is given by the denomination to the person requesting the results. People seeking such results are required to submit formal written research requests to NCLS Research.
Unpublished results: Survey Results and Datasets not currently in the public domain need a written research request. Fees will apply. An ‘NCLS Results Request’ form or ‘NCLS Dataset Request’ form will need to be completed.
Survey Types
The National Church Life Surveys include the following survey types:
• Attender Surveys: Church attenders filled out surveys asking about themselves, their faith, and their views about their local church. A small proportion of attenders completed variants of the main Attender Survey, which contained additional questions across a range of areas of religious faith and practice and social concern.
• Leaders Survey: All people in a leadership role in a church/parish were invited to complete the Leaders Survey and to take advantage of opportunities to identify and build their leadership.
• Church Census( or Operations Survey): A leader or administrator in each church/parish completed a single Operations Survey, which provides information about the church’s life and activities. Some 2,334 local churches (weighted) from across the nation completed an Operations Survey. In the case of Protestant churches, local church is defined as a gathering of attenders (congregation) at a particular location. The congregation may include one or more worship services. At some locations, more than one congregation meets – in which case these congregations are separate “local churches”. In the case of the Catholic denomination, local church is defined as the parish, which comprises one or more locations/mass centres.
De-identified data: Information that could be used to identify individual respondents or individual parishes is not available.
Translations: Some forms were translated into one of 10 languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tongan, Dinka, Arabic, Italian, Chin (Burmese) and Karen (Burmese). Note not all denominations are represented in each language. Additional Attender forms were distributed in selected language translations (mainly Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese) at the request of some denominations
Additionally, attenders and leaders were asked to nominate country of birth for themselves and their parents along with language spoken at home. The NCLS Operations Survey enquired of the ethnic mix of congregations and languages in which services were delivered.
About NCLS surveys and respondents
The Australian National Church Life Survey (NCLS) is a project of NCLS Research, a partnership of Anglicare Diocese of Sydney, Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Australian Catholic University. The NCLS has assembled a large and growing database of information about Australian churches, church attenders and local church leaders over 25 years. These datasets cover a wide range of views, actions and characteristics of church attenders, leaders and church congregations and parishes.
The 2016 NCLS was the sixth wave of the NCLS, involving some 3,000 local churches from 21 denominations or movements, which represents 25% of the estimated number of local churches in Australia (not including Orthodox, independent and house churches). Data are weighted to account for different levels of participation among church denominations and regions (e.g. states, dioceses, synods).
Participating denominations
- Catholic, Mainstream Protestant: Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Uniting Church,
- Pentecostal including: Australian Christian Churches, Acts 2 Alliance (A2A), C3 Church, International Network of Churches, CRC Churches, Independent Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) and
- Other Protestant: Baptist, Churches of Christ, Christian Reformed, Salvation Army, CityLife Church, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches(FIEC).
NCLS data sets may be provided with information about differences across denominational types, such as: Catholic, Mainstream Protestant, Pentecostal or Other Protestant. Permissions may be needed for denominational comparisons.
Results or a dataset?
NCLS Research can provide information in two broad formats: research results outputs or raw datasets.
A. Results request
Most people ask NCLS Research to run the analysis for them. Fees will apply to cover researcher time. These may be either:
* Results outputs (tables and charts with no commentary)
* Results reports (analysis and some commentary)
B. Raw datasets
If the researcher works with datasets and has access to statistical software (e.g. SPSS, SAS etc), then NCLS Research can provide an NCLS Dataset Licence. Fees will apply.
Fees and Procedures
The associated fees and procedures are outlined in the document: “Working with NCLS Data and Questions”. All requests for results and datasets not currently in the public domain are considered by NCLS’s Research Subcommittee, which make representation to the NCLS Board for deliberation. Details of how to obtain a quote for such results and datasets as well as licence agreement processes and deadlines for committee/board meetings are outline in the document “Working with NCLS Data and Questions”.
Note: Due to the detail of the survey questions and responses data may be presented in a nominal manner, alternatively as aggregations on a nominated variable or portions of datasets may be available as a single or merged entity.
