The primary purpose of this course is to help each course participant develop a cognitive map of research activity within the Nonprofit/Philanthropic Studies field. Specifically, the course will help participants become familiar with: (a) the topics and issues that scholars within the emerging field have begun to systematically study; (b) the methods they have employed-or have failed to employ-to study different topics and issues; and (c) the knowledge base about nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and their organizational practices that has begun to be created as a result of research focused on the third sector.