Academic research in #alternativedata has become increasingly popular recently, with more research needed to explore new investment strategies and theories in finance innovation and #businessmanagement. This #chinese Beijing Normal University (BNU) paper provides an overview of more than 100 papers published from 2015 to 2021 on the emerging applications of alternative data, categorizing the data types and their applications in #finance and business. It also analyzes the roles of alternative data in finance theory and business management, arguing that alternative data can act as a bridge leading to more efficient financial markets.