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The purpose of this research is to investigate the global contribution of researchers towards the literature on service science between 1995 and 2008. In achieving this aim, a review of papers published in five top service research journals was carried out. Papers from the following five service research journals were reviewed: International Journal of Service Industry Management, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Service Research, Managing Service Quality, and Service Industries Journal. The review considered all papers published in the journals over a 14 year period from 1995 to 2008. This study assessed the regional, institutional and individual research productivity in major service journals. The findings show evidence of worldwide contribution to service research, although there is dominance from academicians and institutions in North America and Europe. Other regions of the world, particularly Asia, are increasing in contribution.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of Asian researchers towards the literature on service science. In achieving this aim, a review of papers published in five top service research journals is carried out.Design/methodology/approachPapers from the following five service research journals are reviewed: International Journal of Service Industry Management, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Service Research, Managing Service Quality, and Service Industries Journal. The review considers all papers published in the journals over a 14‐year period from 1995 to 2008. The abstract and main body of the papers are analyzed for content.FindingsThis paper identifies the core contribution of researchers from Asian countries. The top five Asian countries identified are Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Israel, and South Korea. Also identified are patterns and emphases in service research across different countries.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focuses on five top service research journals over a 14‐year period. Patterns of research emphasis in over 280 publications are analyzed. Further studies can include other journals and/or conferences in service science.Practical implicationsScholars can benefit from insights into the contribution by Asian researchers in services. Specifically, the paper notes the particular emphases of research from different Asian countries while acknowledging the reach and richness of their contributions.Originality/valueThe main value of this paper is its uniqueness in discussing the contribution of researchers specific to Asian countries in top service journals. This paper provides valuable insights into the nature of academic publishing of Asian researchers in this burgeoning area.

The objective of the paper is to describe the contribution of articles by Asian authors in the top journals in service research. This was done by reviewing and evaluating the methodological approaches and the geographical affiliations of authors published in the selected journals. A sample of top journal in service research is selected based on previous literature. The review and evaluation considers all papers published in selected journals over a 14 year period from 1995 to 2008. The papers are categorized and the geographical affiliations are noted. The analysis revealed that Taiwan is the major contributor in service related articles followed by Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea. This is the first review and analysis of contribution from Asian institutions in top journals of service research. The study provides valuable insights into the nature of academic publishing by authors from Asian institutions in the burgeoning area of service science.