Abstract this study used an interdisciplinary approach to examine what tourism researchers have done by analyzing all full-length articles published in Annals of Tourism Research (atr) from 1973 to 2006

COMPONENTS OF TOURISM RESEARCH: Evidence from Annals of Tourism Research JINTAO (EMILY ) MA ROB LAW School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration School of Hotel and Tourism Management Oklahoma State University Hong Kong Polytechnic University HESW 210, Stillwater, OK74078 Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong USA China

• ABSTRACT This study used an interdisciplinary approach to examine what tourism researchers have done by analyzing all full-length articles published in Annals of Tourism Research (ATR) from 1973 to 2006. During the study, the research topics of the included articles in ATR were identified using an interdisciplinary approach, and generated 20 research topic categories. The study also identified six categories of regional focus. After that, the research topics and regional focus of each included article were analyzed. Among the 20 research topics, Sociology and Cultural Issue was found as the most popular research category, which was followed by Psychology and Tourists Behavior Issue, Economics of Tourism, Resort Development and Planning, and Heritage and Environment Issue. Apparently, tourism research in ATR follows an interdisciplinary approach, and this approach is valued in the study and research of tourism. Key words: Tourism research topic, interdisciplinary approach. Jintao (Emily) Ma is a PhD candidate in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration, Oklahoma State University. She holds a Master degree in Hotel and Tourism Management from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research interests include service quality, organizational citizenship behavior, and tourism’s influence on local community. Rob Law is a Professor in Information Technology at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dr. Law actively serves the international academic community in various capacities. His research interests are Information Technology applications to tourism and hospitality, modeling, and fundamental issues of tourism research.