Xi Yu Leung, Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong, Xunyue (Joanne) Xue and Anna S. Mattila
Hospitality and tourism research lags in using experimental designs. This study aims to reveal prestigious scholars’ opinions and suggestions on how to effectively design and…
Abstract
Purpose
Hospitality and tourism research lags in using experimental designs. This study aims to reveal prestigious scholars’ opinions and suggestions on how to effectively design and execute experimental research.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an open-ended survey on 187 editors and editorial board members from 22 top hospitality and tourism journals. Their answers were coded following an inductive method of coding, and a list of themes and categories was synthesized.
Findings
The results summarize common problems of this method and indicate significant barriers to making experimental studies publishable. The review criteria for experimental studies are presented from four aspects: overall design, stimuli and manipulations, data collection and reporting results.
Research limitations/implications
The results provide valuable suggestions for researchers interested in experimental design in the hospitality and tourism field. The study contributes to a shift toward well-designed and well-executed experimental research in hospitality and tourism.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study is the first to survey editorial board members of impactful hospitality and tourism journals to reveal their insights into the experimental methodology. The study makes significant theoretical and methodological contributions by addressing calls to understand common problems and barriers to experimental research in our field.
Details
Keywords
Anna S. Mattila, Anqi Luo, Xunyue Xue and Tian Ye
The purpose of this paper is to discuss some common pitfalls in experimental research in the field of hospitality and tourism. It aims to offer recommendations on how to avoid…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss some common pitfalls in experimental research in the field of hospitality and tourism. It aims to offer recommendations on how to avoid such problems to enhance theory development.
Findings
This paper highlights some common pitfalls in hospitality research regarding manipulations, samples and data analyses. The challenges imposed by the global pandemic are also discussed.
Research limitations/implications
Researchers in hospitality are recommended to refine their experimental designs, to recruit appropriate and sufficient samples and to avoid the abuse of “researcher degrees of freedom” in data analysis.
Originality/value
This is the first study to review common mistakes in experimental research in hospitality research and to recommend some remedies. The findings of this study can contribute to stronger theory development.