Frequently Cited Studies as Indicators of Music Education Research Interests, 1963-1989

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the reference pages of three research journals, the Journal of Research in Music Education (JRME), the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education (BCRME), and Contributions to Music Education (CME), from their inceptions through 1989 to determine which research studies were cited most frequently and could be recognized as important and influential I used a reverse chronological approach to reveal 27 articles with 10 or more citations. Most of the articles were published in the 1970s, and there was a correlation of .29 between number of citations and years in print. A majority of these studies are experimental, and more than a third of them deal with tempo and intonation. This perspective on the research base in music education, as reflected in selected journals, can assist researchers in determining those research areas that have received considerable attention and in identifying topics that have had less intensive investigation.