An identification of the subject areas and research techniques used in five hospitality-related journals

Abstract

This article reports on an analysis of 653 articles in five leading hospitality-related journals for the period 1983–1989. Objectives of the study are to determine (a) the nature of hospitality writing and research to date (qualitative or quantitative), (b) the focus of hospitality publications to date (marketing, finance, administration, human resources, operations, research and development, economics) and (c) the type of statistical analysis used in hospitality research to date, i.e. the use of descriptive or inferential multivariate statistics. Findings suggest the field of hospitality administration is lacking in rigorous and sophisticated quantitative research. Recommendations are offered for the future development of research in the field of hospitality.