How Transport Journals Weed Out Qualitative Research and Why It Matters

Transportation researchers rarely publish findings from qualitative methods in peer-reviewed transportation journals; quantitative methods dominate research in the field. In this article, we document the paucity of qualitative research in transportation journals and examine the significant challenges researchers face in getting this type of work published. To do this, we (1) systematically reviewed the methods used in top transportation journals, and (2) conducted in-depth interviews with 46 researchers and editors. Qualitative research accounts for a very small but growing share of peer-reviewed publications in the top fifteen transportation journals. Challenges in publishing stem from widespread misunderstandings of qualitative methods and a lack of expertise from reviewers and editors in evaluating this type of work. The barriers that qualitative researchers face in peer review have implications for individual careers and the field of transportation more broadly. Gatekeeping around research methods limits how our field understands critical transportation issues with potential implications for practice and policy.