An Empirical Analysis of the Literature Cited in the Journal of Leadership Education Open Access

Since 2002, the Journal of Leadership Education (JOLE) has served as a primary source for the dissemination of new knowledge in the field of leadership education. The purpose of this study was to empirically analyze sources cited in research features included in the JOLE from Volume 1, Issue 1 through Volume 12, Issue 1. A total of 125 research features were analyzed, resulting in 3,497 citations, and yielding an average of 28 citations per research feature. A thorough examination indicated research features of the JOLE cite journals and books most frequently, accounting for 86.7% of all citations. The JOLE was found to be the most cited journal in research features. Nine books and five journal articles were found to be the most often cited references within the research features in this study. Future research should be conducted to understand the relative contribution of various document types to the overall composition of research features to better understand the relevance of each in today’s knowledge base.