A Decade of Service-Related Research: A Map of the Field

The 1990s ushered in a new era for service as a problem-solving strategy, with a concomitant expansion in the service-related literature. The authors report the results of a bibliographic survey of the literature that assessed the contents of more than 2,500 abstracts. Service-related research has diffused to a wide array of disciplines and policy fields. However, the common interest across disciplines has not translated into a more coherent understanding of service. The most recent research is fragmented across disciplines and outcomes. In addition, much of the most recent research diverges from traditional definitions of volunteerism. Few attempts have been made to synthesize the latest wave of research results and integrate them with previous research and theory. Recommendations are offered to increase convergence among investigators and improve the quality of service-related research. (authors)