How do we study crowdfunding? An overview of methods and introduction to new research agenda

Abstract

Purpose: Crowdfunding is a global phenomenon of rising significance and impact on different areas of business and social life, investigated across many academic disciplines. The goal of the article is to present the variety of methods applied in crowdfunding research, assess their strengths and weaknesses, offer the typology of methodological approaches, and suggest the most promising direction for further studies. Design/methodology: The paper is based on the review of the most recent academic and industry lite rature on crowdfunding and own analysis of data presented by crowdfunding platforms' operators. Findings: The article incorporates interrelations of methods, goals of inquiries, and types of results to propose a typology of methodological approaches that researchers currently apply to crowdfund ing: from platformcentred to multisited. The authors discuss the advantages and limitations of the identified approaches with the use of multiple examples of recent and most influential studies from the field and propose the most urgent direction of future inquiries.