Plagiarism case in journal submission

I have just finished reviewing of a paper (from, presumably, Asian authors, given the location of the empirical study) that was blatantly plagiarised. As soon as I started reading the paper, I felt something was wrong. The writting style changed and at times the flow of ideas did not make sense. The text moved from very well written and backed up arguments, to poorly expressed and confusing ideas. When I got to the conclusion, the evidence started to mount. even further. Not only some parts of the text mentioned sectors of the tourism industry that were not the focus of the paper, but at times the text did not make any sense in the context of what was done. I then started searching for the source, and identified two papers from which large chuncks of text had been taken from. 

It is unbelievable that anyone can think they will get away with literally copying large parts of others' papers on to theirs. There is only one word to describe this: fraud attempt. They were unlucky this time because I had just read one of the papers they copied from. But the copying was so extreme that, if published, it would be discovered sooner than later. Shame on you!

Bournemouth University to host International Conference on Events

The School of Tourism at Bournemouth University (UK) presents the

 

International Conference on Events (ICE2013)

and the

10th AEME (Association of Event Management Educators) Forum

 

Overall theme: "Making Waves"

 

Bournemouth (UK), 3-5th July 2013

 

*** Abstract submission deadline: Friday 11 January 2013 ***

The conference

The aim of this international conference is to debate the way in which we see, think and undertake events management research, pedagogy, policy and practice. Acknowledging the growing international research within the events area, the organisers invite extended abstracts from researchers, academics and industry experts who have an interest in events management. This three-day conference will encompass presentations, e-posters and workshops where we hope that participants will bring their expertise to help create a ‘sea-change’ of support for the future of events.

The theme of our conference is ‘Making Waves’, and we want to harness this natural energy to create enthusiasm that will change the way we perform our work under the broad umbrella of events management. Events should be much more than the short-term coming together of like-minded people. The world would be socially, culturally and economically poorer without events, and as academics we are in the privileged position of questioning and critically reviewing the value and meaning of events to individuals and communities.

The aims are to share and develop the 4Cs:

·         Cutting edge research

·         Current and transformative pedagogy

·         Contemporary industry practice

·         Communicating green principles in the way we deliver the conference.

 

Themes for abstracts

We are looking for you to submit your proposals under one of the following themes:

• Making waves – Transformational Power; mega & major events; social media & technology; employment & careers; ISO20121
• Riding the waves – Experiential Events, learning & research; hyperreal experiences; festivity; rituals & rules
• Challenging the waves – Policy & Practice; creativity & design; discourses & narrative; imagination & dreamscapes
• Working the waves – Business Events; professionalisation; the revised purple guide; security; knowledge transfer; imagery, symbols & semiotics
• Create a new wave by proposing original ideas or concepts not covered above.

 

Key Note Speakers

• Professor Don Getz, Professor Emeritus and Adjunct Professor in the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, Canada.
• Professor Leo Jago, Chief Economist for Tourism and General Manager of Tourism Research Australia.
• Professor Stephen Page, Professor in the School of Tourism, Bournemouth University.
• Jon Weaver, Marketing and Events Manager for Bournemouth Borough Council.
• Susan Spibey, Chair of the new Institute of Event Management.

Organisers

Dr Julie Whitfield, Senior Lecturer Events and Conference Management,

Caroline Jackson,  Associate Dean Events & Leisure

Key dates

·         Abstract submission deadline: Friday 11 January 2013

·         Confirmation of abstract acceptance: Friday 1 February 2013

·         Early bird registration: Friday 26 April 2013

 

Abstract submission guidelines can be found on the conference website. Please email abstracts to: ICE2013@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Supporting Journals

Authors of outstanding papers will be invited to submit to a special edition of the following two journals

·         International Journal of Hospitality and Event Management  

·         International Journal of Event and Festival Management

 
We look forward to welcoming you to Bournemouth in 2013!

São Paulo Conferences

I am currently in Brazil to participate in two conferences:

·         IX ANPTUR – The annual conference of the Brazilian Association of Tourism Research and Post-graduation (30-31 August)

·         V CLAIT – Latin  American Tourism Research Conference (3-5 September)

This is the third time I have attended the ANPTUR conference, having attended both in 2008 and 2010. My active participation in this year’s conferences involved running a 2h30m workshop on publishing in English Language Tourism (ELT) journals. The workshop started with a 30 minute presentation by Rosana Mazaro, from Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). Rosana introduced the latest developments in the funding environment for international co-operation.

At present, only around 30 articles have been published in ELT journals by academics affiliated to Brazilian institutions. By any measure, this is a rather low level of publication. My session focused on the differences between publishing in a Brazilian and English language tourism journals. There are many differences both in terms of the research process on which the publication is based, and how the research is communicated. However, in my study on the barriers to publishing in ELT journals (see post from April) it was clear that the overwhelming majority of Brazilian researchers were not aware of such differences. This is not surprising because they have never gone through the process of submitting a paper to these journals.

In my session, three topics were covered - communication (both language and linguistic issues), literature review and research process/methodology. Simple things like the length of sentences can make a difference on how the research is perceived by the reader. Articles in Brazilian tourism journals tend to feature much longer sentences. I gave an example from a Brazilian journal where a sentence contained 129 words! In the example from an ELT journal, no sentence had more than 3 lines. Other themes within the communication section included the need to use simple language and the structure of arguments. Finally, I also shared my technique of developing ‘lists of expressions’. I sued (and still use whenever needed) this list to become familiar with the specific language used in writing/reporting about each of the components of a journal article (e.g. literature review, reporting the logistic regression results, reporting limitations and future research).

 

In the literature review section, I explained the three types of literature review (theoretical, integrative and methodological), and emphasised the need to include mainly journals and in English language journals (books and national journals are the norm in articles published in Brazilian tourism journals). I also explained the three levels of analysis at which a literature review can be done: descriptive, analytical and evaluative. With regards to the methodology-process aspects, ELT journals are much more detailed about the process of research, which reflects a concern with the validity and reliability of the evidence required to produce conclusions. I explained the helpfulness of developing a conceptual framework (a-priori for quantitative research, a-posteriori for qualitative-type research), as well as the need to clearly explain the measurement issues (data collection and analysis).

A second part of the presentation focused on developing a strategy for starting to publish in ELT journals. I started by showing the number and range of journals – a list of 76, encompassing a wide range of areas and research traditions. I also showed our assessment system in the UK (based on the ABS journal rankings) and explained the differences to the Brazilian system (based on the QUALIS system). Finally, I illustrated how Brazilian academics could gain the skills required to start submitting papers to ELT journals. 

 

A total of 26 academics participated in the workshop and their feedback was tremendously positive. I have been in discussions with two Brazilian colleagues (who have done their PhD in the UK / Australia) for a while with a view to organise a two-day workshop where we would share our experiences of publishing in ELT journals, much in the light of this workshop. We are in a prime position to do this, as we have made the journey from dreaming of one day of one day being able to do it, to actually do it. After yesterday, I am even more encouraged to make sure this workshop happens.

I also had the chance to attend some of the conference presentations, and it is really positive that the quality of the research being carried out is improving. The conference was very well organised - congralutations to ANPTUR's management committee and to the Anhembi Morumbi University (the hosts) for another successful ANPTUR conference. 

Internet in Hotels - Hotels still don't get it

I just can't understand how hotels fail to understand customers... Here I am in São Paulo at the Golden Tulip Park Plaza hotel, a 3.5 star hotel in the Jardins district part of a hotel chain, paying £120 per night (not cheap). The hotel serves mainly business customers, who are likely to require being connected to the Internet on a regular basis (like me). The hotel offers free Internet, but it is way too slow (bordering on desperation!). Alternatively, you can pay for faster Internet - paying 18 pounds per day! Words fail me to comment on this price... It is cheaper to buy a pay-as-you-go dongle! A Hotel that still sees offering fast Internet as an 'extra' is living in the last century. Today, expectations about the quality of the Internet connection are like the expectations of a friendly service, a comfortable bed and a clean room. You want them to be of the highest standard possible and included in the price. Full stop. Would any hotel of this level charge customers extra for a more comfortable bed, a cleaner bedroom or a more friendly service?

Dr. Andrew Spencer wins award

Dr. Andrew Spencer, whose PhD I supervised with Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, has won the 'ITT PhD Student of the Year' award. The Institute of Travel & Tourism (http://www.itt.co.uk/index.php) is a UK-based professional membership body for individuals employed in the travel and tourism industry. The award will be made during the ITT Chairman’s Summer Cocktail party at the House of Commons on Thursday, 19th July 2012. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend as I will abroad for most of July. I would like to congratulate Andrew for his achievement. It is well deserved.

Prof Buhalis, Andrew and myself on the day of Andrew's successul PhD Viva

Academics Jobs in the School of Tourism @ BU

Bournemouth University is seeking candidates for a number of posts in Events, Leisure, Sport, Tourism, Hospitality and Retail. The deadline for applications is the 20th of June. See links below to the posts available: Please note that although they are advertised as management, applications from ANY disciplines are welcome. 

We are looking for a number of L/SLs in Events Management from areas such as Creativity & Design, New Media, Human Resource Management, Project Management, Marketing, Planning & Operations and Policy. Please feel free to contact Caroline Jackson, Associate Dean for Events & Leisure (cjackson@bournemouth.ac.uk) for further information.


These posts offer the opportunity to work in a friendly and dynamic environment, based in an unrivalled location. Famous for its 12 kilometres of sandy beaches, 2,000 acres of beautiful parks and gardens and a cosmopolitan atmosphere, Bournemouth blends a traditional British resort with the characteristics of a busy and thriving town. It has some of the best beaches in the UK and has won numerous prestigious awards including the European Blue Flag Awards.

Professor in Events, Leisure or Sport
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/jobs/st47.html

Senior Lecturer / Lecturer in Events Management
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/jobs/st46

Senior Lecturer / Lecturer in Hospitality Management
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/jobs/st45.html

Senior Lecturer / Lecturer in Retail Management
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/jobs/st44.html

Senior Lecturer / Lecturer in Sport Management
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/jobs/st43.html

Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/jobs/st41.html

 

For all academic jobs vacancies @ BU, go to: 

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/jobs/academic_jobs.html

 

Want to know how to apply? Go to 

http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/jobs/application_forms.html

Celebrating PhD research @ the School of Tourism

Today 18 of the School of Tourism's PhD students presented their PhD research to the BU community in the form of PhD Interactive Poster Presentations. Each PhD student had to prepare a poster, which was then displayed in the room. Each student presented their research in about 8 minutes, after which there was time for questions. Presentations were scheduled based on who the first supervisor is. The event started with Dimitrios Buhalis students, and surprise surprise, most of the research focuses around technology. I co-supervise three of the five students (Ivana, Nicolas and John):

• Zornitza  YOVCHEVA - Information system design of Smartphone augmented reality for tourism
• Ivana  RIHOVA - Consumers as producers: customer-to-customer co-creation in the context of festival experiences
• Nicolas  GREGORI Y RIBES - Technology and social media enabled service development and design
• Barbara  NEUHOFER - Technology enhanced tourist experience 
• John FOTIS - The impact of social media on consumer behaviour; focus on holiday travel

A great set of presentations, showing the cutting edge work undertaken by PhD students in the area of experience and technology in tourism. 

The next group involved Alan Fyall's and Lorraine Brown's students:

• Gayathri KANAGASAPATHY - The heritage experience, a visitor perspective: a comparative study of heritage destinations in Malaysia
• Gde Indra  BHASKARA - The local community as a stakeholder group and its participation in UNESCO’s World Heritage Nomination process: Jatiluwih Rice Fields, Bali, Indonesia
• Emma KAVANAGH - A narrative enquiry into the experience of maltreatment in high performance sport
• Sean BEER -  Human perceptions of the authenticity of food 

Another great set of presentations, raising interesting discussions about the notion of 'maltreatment' and 'authenticity', and the challenges that emerge from researching such subjective concepts.

The 4 students presenting their PhD research in the last session before lunch were supervised by Janet Dickinson and Adam Blake.

• Andrew HARES - Tourist understanding of and engagement with the climate change impacts of holiday
• Julia HIBBERT - Tourism travel and identity
• Jan HUTCHINGS - ‘In the Swim‘ – an ethnography on Masters swimming
• Stephen CALVER - The influence of mass media on countryside leisure visit behaviour compared

After lunch, there was a fourth and final session, where students supervised by Barry Richards, Heather Hartwell, Ian Jones and Roger Vaughan presented their PhD research. Amanda is also one of my PhD students. I could not stay due to having my Consumer Experience & Behaviour exam in the afternoon.

• Gregory KAPUSCINSKI - Tourism, terrorism, political instability and the media
• Joanna HAWKES - ‘My Bones Won’t Break Me’: an auto-ethnographical exploration of premenopausal osteoporosis in a physically active female‘
• Pamela WATSON - Grab Your Fork’: a netnography of a foodie blog and its community
• Stacy WALL - Synergies in public health and tourism; an organisational ethnography
• Amanda WILDING - The diffusion and adoption of sport psychology by track and field coaches

All in all a great opportunity to show to the BU community (and the world via this blog) the excellent PhD research undertaken at the School of Tourism.

[pictures courtesy of Soultana Symeonidou]

LIT&TOUR - International Conference on Literature and Tourism

LIT&TOUR

International Conference on Literature and Tourism

University of Lisbon

26 November 2012

 CALL FOR PAPERS

Call deadline: June 14th  2012

The Lit&Tour: International Conference on Literature and Tourism will be hosted by the Centre for Comparative Studies of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon, in collaboration with the School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism of the University of the Algarve. The theme of the Conference is the relationship between literature and tourism. The Conference will focus on the various forms and approaches of this relationship. 

The last three decades have been fruitful in studies and publications on travel literature. The relationship between literature and tourism has not, however, been the target of an intensive and systematic study.   

Although in Portugal literary itineraries and other forms of connection between literature and tourism are scarce, there are many and varied initiatives in this field in other countries. The fact that these have significantly multiplied over the latest years illustrates the growing interest in this type of tourism.  Besides, the recent establishment by UNESCO of a list of "Cities of Literature" is also relevant and an expression of this growing interest.

The way a place is mentioned and described in a literary text can be of great relevance for the construction of its image, a kind of reading protocol. This is relevant given that the image/memory of the place is central to the process of its transformation into a tourist product. The tourist place/destination cannot be experienced by the consumer before its purchase, therefore it is a product which value depends entirely on the imaginary, on the memories evoked by others on their descriptions, on the way they describe the experiences and emotions offered by a destination or lived in it. The descriptions presented by authors for centuries, the way they describe their own experiences or the experiences of their characters, create a memory of the place that can be used in the process of converting it into a tourist product.

Structure:

The conference will include plenary sessions, designed to invited guest speakers, followed by submitted paper parallel sessions. 

Keynote speakers:

Professor Harald Hendrix (Utrecht University)

Professor Helena Carvalhão Buescu (Lisbon University)

Submissions:

Presentations on, but not limited to, the following subjects are encouraged:

• Representations of tourism in literature (different types of tourism destinations represented and associated heritage);
• Representations of the tourist and of tourist experiences in the literature (writer tourist / reader tourist/ cultural tourist);                                                                        
• Literary tourism.

Presentations will be 20 minutes long.

Please submit abstracts of 250-500 words, in a Microsoft Word file, no later than June 14th, 2012, to the following e-mail address lit&tour@fl.ul.pt  Please mention any technology needed for your presentation.

Abstracts and Presentations may be in Portuguese or in English.

Together with the abstract, a short bio note (1500 character limit) should be sent.

Notification of acceptance: 31^st July 2012

Full articles should be submitted by January 2013 to allow for review, revision, and publication. Author guidelines are available at:

http://www.comparatistas.edu.pt/images/docs/normasparaautores.doc

Conference  fees:

With presentation: until September the 10^th -  60 Euros. Late registrations - 100 Euros.

Without presentation: until September the 10^th -  30 Euros. Late registrations -  50 Euros.

Free admission for those who do not wish to receive the information and support pack, FLUL PhD students, and ESGHT Master Students.

Registration will only be valid after the payment of the conference fee.

Scientific Advisory Board:

§  Ana Filipa Prata (FLUL)

§  Cláudia Henriques (ESGHT – UAlg)

§  Isabel Dâmaso Santos (FLUL)

§  Isilda Leitão (ESHTE)

§  José Figueiredo Santos (ESGHT – UAlg)

§  Raquel Baltazar (FLUL)

§  Rita Baleiro (ESGHT – UAlg)

§  Sílvia Quinteiro (ESGHT – UAlg/ CEC)

Organizing committee:

§  Ana Filipa Prata (FLUL)

§  Cláudia Henriques (ESGHT – UAlg)

§  Isabel Dâmaso Santos (FLUL)

§  Isilda Leitão (ESHTE)

§  José Figueiredo Santos (ESGHT – UAlg)

§  Raquel Baltazar (FLUL)

§  Rita Baleiro (ESGHT – UAlg)

§  Sílvia Quinteiro (ESGHT – UAlg/ CEC)

Contact:

Lit&Tour: International Conference on Literature and Tourism
Centro de Estudos Comparatistas
Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Lisboa
Alameda da Universidade
1600-214 Lisboa
Portugal

Telephone: (351) 21 792 00 85
Fax: (351) 21 796 00 63
E-Mail: lit&tour@fl.ul.pt  Este endereço de email está protegido contra spam bots, pelo que o Javascript terá de estar activado para poder visualizar o endereço de email

           cec@fl.ul.pt

AECIT conference: 21-23 November 2012

I am participating in the XVII AECIT international congress, which takes place in the town of Carballiño (Ourense, Galicia, Spain) this November. AECIT, the Spanish Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism, selected as the theme for the conference "Creation and development of tourism products: innovation and the experiential approach”. I am a member of the scientific committee, and I will also be delivering a keynote presentation on emotion engineering and the development of new tourism products. 

The conference will also involve a research component, where a maximum of 60 papers will be selected for presentation. The first deadline for submitting papers is the 31st of May. For more information, please go to the conference's website. http://www.aecit2012.com/

New paper published on Event Sponsorship

I have just had a new paper published in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. This paper was based on Arjun Bahl Masters dissertation that I supervised as part of his MSc Tourism and Events @ BU (this Master no longer runs). You can access the paper here (subscription required)

Purpose – This paper aims to examine event sponsorship decision making by the Indian drinks industry, comparing the non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks sectors.

Design/methodology/approach – Data regarding event sponsorship activity, perceptions of event sponsorship, motives to sponsor, form of investment and structure of sponsorship was obtained from a sample of 61 drinks producers in India through a questionnaire. Mann-Whitney and logistic regression were employed to compare the alcoholic and the non-alcoholic sectors.

Findings – The results suggest that the alcohol and non-alcohol drinks sectors sponsored a similar level of events, but in investment volume terms, sponsorship from the non-alcoholic sector is far greater than that of the alcoholic sector. While the two sectors are similar in many ways, the emphasis placed on certain motives for sponsoring events was different, with alcoholic drinks businesses placing greater importance on reaching niche audiences and increasing media coverage than non-alcoholic ones.

Research limitations/implications – A limited number of areas of the sponsorship decision-making were covered, yet the study provides insights into the decision making of one of the key sponsoring industries: the drinks industry.

Practical implications – Securing sponsorship is becoming more difficult and complex. By understanding how sponsors make decisions, including potential variations between companies within an industry, event organisers will be in a better position to tailor sponsorship proposals, enhancing the likelihood of obtaining the desired sponsorship contracts.

Originality/value – Most sponsor decision-making research focuses on how sponsorship decisions can be improved so that they work better for the sponsor. This paper, in contrast, emphasises that by understanding how clients make decisions (i.e. sponsors), sellers (i.e. the sponsored) will be in a better position to win over competition and secure the desired sponsorship deals.

Social media training for School of Tourism Academics

I am participating in a training session aimed to helping academics make better use of social media as I write this post. The workshop has just started by exploring why social media are important and why action is needed.

16.30 - John Fotis, a PhD student, explained that social media are here to stay and all kinds of people (not only young) are using them. He continued by identifying the various types of social media> social networking sites (e.g. facebook, linked in), blogs (travelblog, travelpod), microblogs (e.g. twitter), Wikis (e.g. wikipedia, wikitravel), content comunity sites (e.g. picasa, flickr, slideshare), consumer review sites (e.g. tripadvisor), internet forums (e.g. lonely planet) and location-based social media (e.g. foursquare). John has also highlighted some key numbers: 1 in 3 upload content on the internet (UK), flickr contains 5bn photos. Academics are among the most active in social media: 1.5m academics, 45m abstracts, 10+ million pdf/free texts.

16.50 - Just finished my brief contribution to this workshop. I emphasised the 'war of visibility' that academics and institutions face given the number of users & content being generated. Social media is a good way to establish a presence in the web, and more specifically among specific social groups. It allows you to come earlier in search engines, and maintain 'non-invasive' communication with my 'publics'. I explained that I use blogs, academic, facebook and linked in because that's what suits me.

17.10 - One colleague asked whether using social media has a good return on investment... Dimitrios Buhalis answered that using social media need not to take too much time. I added that many times I simply post a link to a paper (2 minutes), or write a report for the university on the conference I attended, which I 'recycle' and post on my blog.

Dimitrios emphasised the six tips for social media success:

1. start with the right strategy

2. know your objectives

3. deliver relevant content

4. develop meaningful relationships

5. integrate into your marketing mix

6. measure what matters

17.30 - As the purpose was to instill action, the workshop is continuing by covering each of the steps academics should undertake:

1) establish profile: blog, academic, facebook, youtube, linkedin, twitter

2) create content: publications, courses, conferences, research interests, achievements, projects, community contributions.

3) publicise through different channels: create networks of academics (you advertise each others work), use media selectively (e.g. twitter is about 'now', blogs are picked up by search engines and are a good planform for ensuring its content is accessible for a long time)

4) engage in conversations.

The practical side of the workshop involved exploring how social media works. For this purpose, Dimitrios just posted about an IFITT event in a number of pages on facebook. In a few minutes, it was tweeted, facebook friends read about it and liked it. Some shared it with their friends. Social media played its role again.

Award of a Santander Research Grant

In January I received the good news that I was awarded a Santander Research Grant. The £5000 grant will support my research project on "The internationalisation of the Brazilian tourism, hospitality and events (THE) research: Barriers and opportunities to publishing in international (English language) journals". As part of the project, I will travel to Brazil to collect data in April and in July. In the April trip, the plan is to visit the following universities:

.

2 & 3 April - Univ. Federal de Juiz de Fora (Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais)

9 & 10 April - Univ. Federal Fluminente (Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro)

11 & 12 April - Univ. Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (Natal, Rio Grande do Norte)

16, 17 & 18 April - Univ. de São Paulo & Univ. Anhembi Morumbi (São Paulo)

19 & 20 April - UNIVALI - Univ. do Vale do Itajai (Balneario Camboriu, Santa Catarina)

.

In addition to interviewing tourism researchers, I will also be delivering guest lectures at some of these universities. As you can see, a pretty busy schedule!

.

Below you can find more information about the research project: rationale, aim + objectives and methods.

"The internationalisation of the Brazilian tourism, hospitality and events research: Barriers and opportunities to publishing in international (English language) journals"

The economic growth of the past 15 years in Brazil has had a profound impact on the country’s tourism industry, further establishing tourism as an important economic activity. While Brazil attracted only just over five million international tourists in 2010, (Ministério do Turismo do Brazil 2011), the country has a substantial tourism industry which is driven by a buoyant domestic market. The Tourism Ministry estimates that in 2009 there were 175 million domestic trips (Ministério do Turismo do Brazil 2010). Economic growth and the strengths of the Brazilian Real are also having a substantial positive effect on the Brazilian outbound market, with 6.2 million outbound trips being recorded in 2010 (VisitBritain 2012).

As the tourist industry matures, so does the need to develop a more in-depth understanding of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the tourism phenomenon. The substantial growth of the tourism sector created the need for more trained professionals. Initially, this growth was supported by an increase in tourism education provision by private universities. However, with the ascension of a labour President in 2002, which resulted in more sustained funding for public universities, the past decade as witnessed an unprecedented growth in tourism education provision by public universities, whether at state of federal level. The net result is greater focus on tourism research within the Brazilian academia, reflected both in the growing number of active researchers and the number of articles they produce. Much of this production is directed to the growing number of Brazilian tourism journals. A small, but growing part of this research production has been published in foreign journals, whether Portuguese or Spanish language journals (mainly South American, but also Spanish). Very few have been published in English language journals. The end result is that Brazilian research and researchers are little known by the International community, notably non-Portuguese/Spanish speaking researchers (Leal, 2011). In his study, Leal concluded that international tourism researchers view research produced by Brazilian tourism academics as of low quality, both in terms of theoretical underpinning/development and of methodological rigour.

The author of this research has visited many Brazilian universities since 2008, some of them regularly, and has had informal conversations with dozens tourism academics about researching and publishing. From these conversations it is clear that many Brazilian tourism academics are enthusiastic about their research and publications and many aspire to broaden their careers to an international level. This enthusiasm is also evident in the growing number of initiatives aiming at supporting the internationalisation of the Brazilian tourism research. ANPTUR, the Brazilian Association of Tourism Post-Graduate Studies and Research, has been discussing internationalisation for a number of years, with the topic regularly featuring in the programme of their annual conference. The author of this research participated in the 2010 conference, where a group of academics from Spain, Portugal, Finland and the UK shared their experiences of internationalisation. More recently, ABRATUR, the International Academy for the Development of Tourism Research in Brazil, was launched with the specific purpose of advancing the internationalisation of tourism research in Brazil. The association, on which the author of this research serves a member of the management committee, is made up of both Brazilian researchers with, or aiming to develop an international career, and foreign researchers with an interest in tourism research in Brazil.

Internationalisation has recently became a ‘hot’ topic within the Brazilian tourism academia and consequently the Brazilian tourism, hospitality and events research has yet to gain any significant presence among the English language tourism research. To Leal (2011) “in order to gain some visibility in the international tourism research arena, Brazilian tourism researchers should strengthen their theoretical and methodological skills, undertake innovative research and, more importantly, make their voice heard within the dominant language [English]. Thus, researchers should produce higher quality research and papers in English”. The study of Leal (2011), and recent discussions within the ABRATUR community provide some clues as to the problems underlying, and solutions for, the lack of internationalisation of the Brazilian tourism, hospitality and events research. However, the unique research and educational context in which Brazilian tourism researchers operate suggests that a more in-depth analysis is required. Therefore the aim of this research is to examine the barriers and opportunities to, and solutions for the internationalisation of Brazilian tourism, hospitality and events (THE) research. This will be achieved through the following objectives:

.
1) To examine the barriers and opportunities to publishing in international (English language) tourism, hospitality and events journals
2) To investigate possible solutions to the barriers identified
3) Design a research skills training plan that could contribute to promote the internationalisation of the Brazilian tourism, hospitality and events research

.

METHODS

Given the current state of Brazilian tourism, hospitality and events research (mainly national publications, or internationally in Portuguese or Spanish language publications), it can be argued that, in the eyes of Brazilian tourism researchers, publishing in international (English language) journals is an innovative behaviour. Thus, adoption of innovations model (Rogers, 1995) will be used as the theoretical underpinning for the research. The research will also draw on previous studies in the field of academic research and publication, organisational studies and human resources.

The research follows a qualitative/quantitative approach. Initially, face-to-face interviews with Brazilian tourism academics are used to explore the dimensions of the topic. The interviews will take place during April 2012 with researchers from various Brazilian universities. Besides the geographical spread, a mixture of academics from public and private universities and of universities with approved and under proposal tourism masters programmes will be interviewed. It is expected that a total of 20 interviews will be made.

The results of the interviews stage, together with a review of previous studies in the area, will be used as the basis for designing a questionnaire to be distributed (online) among tourism researchers affiliated to Brazilian universities. The questionnaire will focus on the main barriers, opportunities and solutions and will be promoted through email (e.g. ANPTUR and ABRATUR mailing lists; snowball sampling). Depending on the number of questionnaires collected, the data will be analysed through univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistics.