Leisure Studies

Top Research Topics at Leisure Studies?

The journal was organized to reinforce research efforts on Gender studies, Social psychology, Sociology of leisure, Leisure studies and Tourism. Issues in Gender studies were discussed, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Identity (social science), Football, Ethnic group and Ethnography. The journal facilitates discussions on Social psychology that incorporate concepts from other fields like Developmental psychology and Perception.

Research on Sociology of leisure presented in it concerns the broader topic of Social science. It features research on Leisure studies in an attempt to reinforce studies in the field of Recreation. Recreation research discussed connects with the study of Public relations.

Tourism geography is a focus of the presented Tourism works and it dives deep in Tourism geography.

• Gender studies (20.71%)
• Social psychology (19.17%)
• Sociology of leisure (14.99%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

• Casual leisure: a conceptual statement (331 citations)
• Olympic Games: catalyst of urban change (267 citations)
• Places around us: embodied lay geographies in leisure and tourism. (235 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Leisure Studies:

The journal publications primarily tackle Social psychology, Gender studies, Sociology of leisure, Tourism and Leisure studies. The published articles explore issues in Gender studies which can be linked to other research areas like Identity (social science) and Ethnic group. The most cited publications deal with Sociology of leisure in conjunction with Recreation and similar fields in Economic growth and Public relations.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

• Law
• China
• Social science

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The objective of Leisure Studies is to combine knowledge in the areas of Gender studies, Social psychology, Media studies, Politics and Tourism. While the journal focused on Gender studies, it was also able to explore topics like Identity (social science), Leisure studies and Football. Leisure satisfaction is a focus of the Social psychology works in it.

The journal explores issues in Media studies which can be linked to other research areas like China and Scholarship. Many of the studies tackled connect Politics with a similar field of study like Political economy. Discussions in the journal are anchored in the subject of Tourism and the similar topic of Advertising.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

• Leisure activism and engaged ethnography: heterogeneous voices and the urban palimpsest (4 citations)
• The right to exist: homelessness and the paradox of leisure (4 citations)
• A People’s History of Leisure Studies: Where the White Nationalists Are (4 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

Top authors and change over time

The top authors publishing in Leisure Studies (based on the number of publications) are:

• Ken Roberts (16 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Robert A. Stebbins (13 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition,
• Chris Rojek (12 papers) absent at the last edition,
• John Horne (11 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Neil Ravenscroft (11 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Top affiliations and change over time

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Leisure Studies (based on the number of publications) are:

• Leeds Beckett University (44 papers) published 4 papers at the last edition, 3 more than at the previous edition,
• University of Brighton (29 papers) absent at the last edition,
• University of Alberta (27 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 3 less than at the previous edition,
• Loughborough University (25 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
• University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (18 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 5.10% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 19.35% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 7.53% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 13.98% of all publications and 59.14% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

• Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
• Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
• Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
• Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
• Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Professional Pathways in the Field of Leisure Studies

While discussing the vast scope of research in Leisure Studies, it's critical to consider various professional trajectories in this diverse field. For instance, some researchers might pursue a career as a Mental Health Counselor, integrating the domain of psychological wellness with the sociology of leisure, or other related areas. This approach allows individuals to apply academic insights directly into practice, enhancing people's lives in a tangible, impactful way.

In the context of leisure studies, Mental Health Counselors could use their understanding of leisure psychology to implement therapeutic activities for clients, fostering improved mental health through enjoyable, meaningful experiences. For those who are interested in exploring this professional route, particularly the readers who reside in Ohio, you might consider reading this comprehensive guide on how to become a mental health therapist in Ohio.

Such professional pathways exemplify the potential careers in the Leisure Studies field, demonstrating how research can be practically applied for societal benefits. As an interdisciplinary field, Leisure Studies offer diverse opportunities, existing at the intersection of sociology, psychology, tourism, media studies, and more. Ultimately, the potential application of Leisure Studies is broad and varied, encouraging a deeper exploration into this exciting field of study.