SODAS Data Discussion 2 (Spring 2026)
Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science (SODAS) aspirers to be a resource for all students and researchers at the Faculty of Social Sciences. We therefore invite researchers across the faculty to present ongoing research projects, project applications or just a loose idea that relates to the subject of social data science.
Two researchers will present their work. The rules are simple: Short research presentations of ten minutes are followed by twenty minutes of debate. No papers will be circulated beforehand, and the presentations cannot be longer than five slides.
Discussion 1
Presenter: Jo Lukito
Title: Data Access and Digital Media Research Epistemology in a Post-Post API Age
Abstract:
For the past two decades, computational social scientists experienced a “golden age” of platform-provided data access, particularly from social media such as Twitter (now X). However, in recent years, we have reached the “post-API” age, a period of time where researchers must find alternative mechanisms for accessing digital media data (including, but not limited to, scraping, data donations, and web tracking methods). While unfortunate in some ways, these changes in data access norms also creates an opportunity to build a more sustainable, robust data access regime. In this context, the talk will provide an overview of current data access mechanisms, its epistemological consequences, and a possible “post-post API age” facilitated by new policies such as Article 40 of the the Digital Services Act.
Discussion 2
Presenter: Jeanet Sinding Bentzen
Title: Religion's Role in Society: Insights from Millions of Tax Statements
Abstract:
Religion is not just a private matter. It remains deeply embedded in public life, influencing access to abortion, international missions, and pre-school activities, for instance. We document this using full-count administrative data from IRS filings for nonprofit organizations covering tax years 2009–2023. Our analysis reveals multiple patterns. First, while explicitly religious domains—such as churches and faith-based congregations—are almost entirely religious, we also uncover a significant religious footprint in areas typically perceived as secular, including international aid, pregnancy-related services, and early childhood education. For example, religious pregnancy organizations emphasize crisis support with faith-based language, whereas secular counterparts focus on reproductive healthcare and access. Second, religious philanthropy is primarily oriented toward human beneficiaries, whereas secular organizations are more likely to extend their efforts to environmental protection, wildlife, and animal welfare. Third, these differences are more pronounced in mission statements than in organization names, suggesting that underlying values may not be immediately visible from surface identifiers. Taken together, our findings provide a new, large-scale perspective on how religion shapes the goals, language, and scope of nonprofit activity in the United States. By leveraging advances in machine learning and text analysis, this study highlights the pervasive yet often subtle ways in which religion continues to influence civic life across a wide range of domains.