The potentials of “new data” in border studies: A scoping review

While the analysis of cross-border linkages has garnered substantial academic attention, its intersection with approaches utilizing new data remains underexplored, with only a limited number of studies addressing this dimension. This gap in the literature is rather surprising, particularly given the high potential of new data-driven methodologies to better understand cross-border linkages. Using a scoping review, this study analyzes selected academic publications from border studies that utilize new data in a cross-border context. Geographically, most studies stem from North America, Europe, and China. Countries in the Global South could use more independent new data to alleviate possible problems with official statistics from national authorities. The greatest potential of new data approaches can be seen in a new knowledge base for cross-border regional development. Moreover, new data are mostly harmonized across national borders, which is a major advantage over official statistics. However, multiple data limitations and challenges, such as data quality and representativeness, remain. Overall, new data approaches offer promising opportunities for theoretical and empirical contributions in border studies, paving the way for a deeper understanding of cross-border linkages.