Introduction

This introductory chapter presents the main rationale of the book, arguing for a more critical perspective on research on (anti)corruption and digital technologies. It provides a concise review of the literature, highlighting the lack of empirical studies on the development, use, and impact of technologies deployed to prevent, investigate, and sanction corruption-related misconduct. It also lays the conceptual foundations for the book, defining key terms and emphasising the importance of including both human and non-human actors in the accountability framework. The chapter then details the research design, data collection, and analysis, based on a combination of constructivist grounded theory and situational analysis. Finally, the chapter outlines the overall structure of the book.