The China NonProfit Review Vol.13 No.1&2_CNPR article 6

Review of the Chinese Internet Philanthropy Research (2006-2020) ：Analysis based on CiteSpace

Song Qi, Zhang Nan & Liang Huizhu^*

Abstract: Internet Philanthropy (also known as Internet Charity, Micro Philanthropy, Online Philanthropy, or Online Charity) attracts much academic attention in China. However, there are no comprehensive reviews in this field yet. This article collects journal articles and books in Chinese and English academia from 2006 to 2020, and analyzes the knowledge mapping of this field with the help of CiteSpace. Four main topics are identified thus: crowdfunding and donation, nonprofit organizations and the public, communication, and micro philanthropy. Based on the definition of Internet philanthropy, this article discusses the specific development of the four topics. The article reveals that different disciplines are incorporated into the field of Internet philanthropy based on their theoretical resources and consciousness of problems with a variety of theories and methods. But there are also some problems, including lack of theory in-depth theories and lack of standardization of empirical research. Future research should pay more attention to the clarification of the concept “internet”, the introduction of cross-disciplinary perception with a focus on organizations and humans and the abandonment of technology determination, and the development of methodology.

Keywords: Internet philanthropy；CiteSpace, fundraising； philanthropic communication； micro philanthropy

* Song Qi, a lecturer at the College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Phd; Research Direction: Internet Philanthropy and Political Communication; Zhang Nan (corresponding author, Email: zhangnan@bjtu.edu.cn), a lecturer at the School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University; Phd; Research Direction: Business Management, Internet Philanthropy; Liang Huizhu, a graduate student at Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University.) This paper is supported by Dunhe ·Bamboo Fund (No. 2020ZLJH-18).

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