Our Research
Understanding Young People Through Research
Three phases. Eight years. One longitudinal study
Footprints is structured as a long-term programme of research, not a series of isolated studies. Each two-year phase builds on the previous one, using a shared methodological framework that allows for comparison across time and across countries. Here you will find the full detail of how we work, what we are studying in each phase, and where we currently stand.
Faith and religion
Religious experience, convictions, spiritual practices, and young people’s perception of the Church and other religious communities.
Work and the common good
Professional aspirations, view of work, and civic and political engagement.
Core relationships
Family bonds, love, friendship, and the desire to build lasting communities of trust.
Our Methodology
Each research phase combines three complementary methods, moving from breadth to depth:
International survey
At the start of each phase, we design and field an online survey targeting young people aged 18 to 29 in nine countries across four continents. The questionnaire has a common core — enabling cross-national comparison — with country-specific modules adapted by local research teams. Samples are weighted to ensure representativeness by age, gender, and region.
Focus groups and in‑depth questionnaires
Following the survey, we conduct guided group discussions with young people in each partner country. These conversations explore the meanings, contradictions, and lived experiences that lie behind the statistical patterns. Participants are selected to represent a diversity of profiles in terms of religious practice, socioeconomic background, and geographic origin. Focus group transcripts are analysed thematically and fed back into the interpretation of survey data.
Expert workshops
Each phase concludes with one or more academic and professional workshops, where findings are presented to and discussed with scholars, educators, and practitioners from different disciplines and traditions. These sessions serve to interpret the data, refine tools for the following phase, and identify implications for education, pastoral care, and public policy. Outputs include working papers, policy briefs, and academic publications.
Our calendar
The project runs from 2022 to 2030 and is structured in three phases, each centred on one main theme:
PHASE 1
Faith and religion
Survey fieldwork in late 2023, focus groups in 2024, and academic publications and an expert meeting in 2025
PHASE 2
Work and the common good
Questionnaire development and exploratory focus groups in 2025, survey in early 2026, analysis and dissemination through 2027.
PHASE 3
Core relationships
Survey and focus groups between 2028 and 2029, followed by synthesis and publication.
The project will conclude with an open international congress in 2030, presenting the integrated results of all three phases and discussing future lines of research and action.