Bibliometric Studies in the Hospitality and Tourism Field: A Guide for Researchers

Abstract

[eng] Bibliometrics is an instrument that allows the analysis of evolution, current state, and future trends in a scientific field. Many disciplines, such as hospitality and tourism, have undertaken bibliometric studies. Based on a review of the leading bibliometric methods used in the main bibliometric documents published in the hospitality and tourism field between 2010 and 2019, this chapter aims to propose a bibliometric guide to help researchers undertake studies based on bibliometric techniques, both evaluative and relational. Any bibliometric research comprises five phases: setting the research questions, selecting the appropriate database, establishing the criteria to follow, filtering the data, applying the proper methods, and analyzing the results. This chapter elaborates on these stages, highlighting the most important evaluative and relational techniques to study the structure of a scientific field from a bibliometric approach. Bibliometric studies provide valuable knowledge for academia, governments, and research centers. It also helps journals’ editors evaluate publications and make editorial decisions.