National Mail Survey of Priests Led to Poll Results
The Times Poll results are based on 1,854 responses from priests nationwide to a survey conducted by mail from June 27 to Oct. 11. Survey results have a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The responses represent a 37% return from a sample of 5,000 active and retired priests in 80 dioceses chosen to be geographically distributed in the same way as the 45,382 priests who make up the total U.S. priest population. Diocesan priests and those in religious orders were included in proportion to their overall share of the total priest population in each geographic area. Addresses and population counts were taken from directories of dioceses and religious orders and from the Official Catholic Directory published by P.J. Kennedy & Sons.
The survey was supervised by Los Angeles Times Poll Director Susan Pinkus along with Associate Director Jill Darling Richardson and Field Director Roger Richardson. Claudia Vaughn was the data management supervisor, and Ray Enslow was the publications coordinator.
Further information on this study is available by writing to Los Angeles Times Poll, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012-4105.
In addition, Times Poll data and question wording may be found online at www.latimes.com/home/news/polls.
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