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Volume II: A Changing Third Sector Research Landscape—Progress or Pitfall?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Mirae Kim Open the ORCID record for Mirae Kim [Opens in a new window]  and
Paloma Raggo
Mirae Kim*
Affiliation:
George Mason University, Arlington, USA
Paloma Raggo*
Affiliation:
Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
*
mkim216@gmu.edu
paloma.raggo@carleton.ca
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Abstract

The last two decades have seen rapid advancements in data processing, collection, and analysis. While these have offered great opportunities for finding answers to enduring questions, the rise of new technologies for research purposes has raised the question of data neutrality, privacy, and equity. Expansions in data categorization, cleaning, and analysis require a broader understanding of the data collection process and its increased technification also increases the access gap to information. This introductory article focuses on the implications of new techniques and technologies to conduct research on the third sector and the nuances around data representation, equity, and justice in third-sector research. We also aim to identify new opportunities that the digitalization of the third sector has opened for nonprofit research, highlighting key methodological and ethical implications for future studies. We conclude by pushing third sector researchers to have more open discussions about issues of equity, inclusion, and representation in the ways we collect and analyze data.

Keywords

Data representationData equityDigitalization of the third sectorEthical implications

Information

Type
Research Paper
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 34 , Issue 1 , February 2023 , pp. 4 - 11
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research 2023

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