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arXiv · 2609.03291

Constructing the Field of Philanthropic and Nonprofit Studies: Evidence from Citation Networks

Jin Ai·Richard S. Steinberg·Chao Guo·Filipi Nascimento Silva
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Abstract

Philanthropic and nonprofit studies (PNPS) has grown rapidly as an interdisciplinary field, yet its intellectual structure and boundaries remain only partially visible. This study maps the field by combining journal- and keyword-based retrieval with citation network analysis, natural language processing, and large language model-assisted cluster labeling. Using 60,917 Web of Science articles, we identify major topical communities, examine their structural connections, and assess how well mainstream PNPS journals represent the broader landscape of related scholarship. The results show that PNPS is a loosely connected field dominated by three distinct "power centers": nonprofit organizations, social movements, and voluntary action. The analysis also reveals a broader disciplinary footprint than commonly recognized, extending beyond the social sciences and humanities into areas such as biomedicine and technology. These findings clarify the organization of PNPS and highlight opportunities for stronger integration across research domains.

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Jin Ai, Richard S. Steinberg, Chao Guo, Filipi Nascimento Silva. 2026-09-03. Constructing the Field of Philanthropic and Nonprofit Studies: Evidence from Citation Networks. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.03291

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