Peer-Reviewed Journals
in Recreation & Leisure Studies

What are the major recreation & leisure journals?

This page offers a rough ordering of the main leisure and recreation journals, along with some of the top journals from travel and tourism.  With the recent proliferation of journals it is becoming increasingly important to understand the relative scope, quality and scholarly kudos associated with different journals within a discipline.  Journal impact ratings are included where available.  The rough ordering also takes into account subjective discussions on the SPRENET listserv regarding journal kudos and direct correspondence with editors of several of these journals.

Recreation & Leisure Studies Journals - Peer Reviewed

• Journal of Leisure Research (JLR) - JCR Impact .636 (2003)
  (National Recreation & Park Association, USA - available via EBSCO)
• Leisure Sciences (LSC) - JCR Impact .707 (2003)
  (Taylor & Francis, USA)
• Leisure Studies (LS)
  (Routledge / Taylor & Francis - Leisure Studies Association, UK)
• World Leisure Journal (WLJ)
  (World Leisure, Canada)
• Journal of Park & Recreation Administration (JPRA) - electronic issues
  (Sagamore - American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, USA)
• Loisir / Leisure (LL)
  (Canadian Association of Leisure Studies in cooperation with the Ontario Research Council on Leisure, Canada)
• Therapeutic Recreation Journal (TRJ)
  (National Therapeutic Recreation Society - National Recreation & Park Association, USA)
• Managing Leisure (ML)
  (Routledge / Taylor & Francis)
• Schole (SCH)
  (Society of Park and Recreation Educators - National Recreation and Park Association, USA)
• Loisir & Société / Society & Leisure (L&S) - JCR Impact .100 (2003)
  (Presses de l'Universite  du Quebec, Canada)
• Annals of Leisure Research (ALR)
  (Australia & New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies)

• LARNET: The Cyberjournal of Applied Leisure & Recreation Research (LAR)
  (North Carolina Central University, USA)

Top Tourism & Travel Journals - Peer Reviewed

• Journal of Travel Research (JTR)
  (Sage - Travel & Tourism Research Association, USA)
• Annals of Tourism Research
  (Elsevier Science)
• Tourism Management (TM)
  (Science Direct)
• e-Review of Tourism Research (e-RTR) (not peer-reviewed)
  (Travel & Tourism Research Association & Texas A&M, USA)

Recreation & Leisure Studies Journals - Non-Peer Reviewed

• Parks & Recreation (P&R - Magazine)
  (National Recreation & Park Association - available via EBSCO)

Other Lists of Related Journals

• Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure Journals
  (Alistair Morrison, Purdue University, USA)
• Leisure Studies Journals
  (Victoria University, USA)
• Tourism Management Journals
  (University of Hertfordshire, UK)

References

Journal of Citation Reports (2003). Social Science Journal Rankings. ISI Web of Knowledge.

Frechtling, D. C. (2004). Assessment of tourism/hospitality journals' role in knowledge transfer: An exploratory study. Journal of Travel Research, 43, 100-107.

Petchlaner, H., Zehrer, A., Matzler, K., & Abfalter, D. (2004). A ranking of international tourism and hospitality journals. Journal of Travel Research, 42, 328-332.

Samadahl, D. M., & Kelly, J. J. (1999). Speaking only to ourselves? Citation analysis of 'Journal of Leisure Research' and 'Leisure Sciences'. Journal of Leisure Research, 31, 171-180.

Van Doren, C. S., Holland, S. M., & Crompton, J. L. (1984). Publishing in the primary leisure journals: Insight into the structure and boundaries of our research. Leisure Sciences, 6(2), 239-256.