J. Jafari, Dean Aaser
1988
Citations
9
Influential Citations
142
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Annals of Tourism Research
Abstract
Abstract Tourism as a scientific field of study has only a recent beginning. It now represents the work of a small but growing community of researchers, trained mostly in social sciences, who apply concepts and methods from different disciplines and hence contribute to the formation of a touristic body of knowledge. This promising development is also evident at advance preparatory stages. A computer search of the doctoral dissertations resulted in 157 titles with touristic focus, written between 1951–1987. The trend is characterized by a sporadic beginning and continuously growing frequency in the 1970s and 1980s. The largest contributions come from the fields of economics, anthropology, geography, and recreation. This development at the doctoral level is an important indication of the growing recognition of tourism in the academic community. The trend looks even more promising for the years ahead.