Perceptions of University Aviation Association Members Concerning Scholarly Writing and Publication

Abstract

This research study was an investigation of the perceptions of University Aviation Associations (UAA) members as to the availability and suitability of various publications sources. The publication sources in question were those that are considered by the academic community as scholarly in nature such as textbooks, research reports, journal articles, and manuals. A survey instrument was developed as a data gathering tool for the study. The survey instrument was sent to 106 members of the UAA; seventy-six percent were returned. Questions contained in the survey instrument asked the respondent to indicate the importance of scholarly writing at their institutions, their academic qualifications, and to provide information relative to whether there were sufficient outlets for scholarly writing. The respondents indicated that scholarly writing was important at their institutions and that sufficient publication sources were not available. In addition, respondents indicated that scholarly writing affected decisions on retention, promotion, tenure, and merit.