The making of tourism research: Insights from a Social Sciences Journal

Abstract

This paper presents a content analysis of the comprehensive subject index of Annals of Tourism Research (1973–2003). The study identified 27 major subject areas and a series of patterns describing the growth of tourism research as published in one single journal. A significant increase in publications was observed in two meta-categories of subject domains: methodology and theory, and development and impacts. The findings describe the journal’s contribution to theoretical constructs and methodological sophistication in tourism social sciences research. The article also discusses three perspectives on the evolution of research and scholarship.