1. If data is collected by someone/an organization within that same tradition, what biases might they have when presenting that data?
2. If data is collected by someone/an organization outside the tradition they are researching, how might this outsider perspective miss the ways people within that tradition view themselves
3. Is religion seen as a virtue within that culture? If so, how might that influence people claiming they are more religious to look better on a survey? If not, what religious groups might be marginalized in a certain area to not outwardly express their beleifs?
4. How do certain groups define themselves (ex. debates about the category of "Nones")?
5. What language is used in data collection, and does it work off of theological assumptions?
Religious data is a pretty broadly defined category that could mean any of the following aspects:
1. People (ex. What percentage of the Canadian population is Muslim?)
2. Institutions (ex. What are the number of churches in the Southern Baptist Convention?)
3. Beliefs/practices (ex. How many people pray, fast, meditate, etc.)
4. Sacred Texts (ex. Bible, Talmud, Rigveda, etc.)
5.Objects (icons, ceremonial objects, etc.)
Methods will depend on what type of data is sought out for, but these are just a few examples of ways religious data appears in research.