This paper investigates the publication of research and theory by authors with affiliations with Australian institutions in two leading, international road safety research journals in the period 1987-1997. It is argued that publication in peer-reviewed journals serves a number of purposes which are primarily related to maximising the quality of research and theoretical development through independent critical review and the most efficient sharing of important research. The record of publication of Australian authors is compared to that of authors from other countries to investigate the extent to which Australian researchers utilise the peer-review process. The results suggest that in spite of the strong gains resulting from road safety programs in Australia, researchers there have a relatively poor record of publication in these leading journals. The results also indicate that Australian published papers rarely involve the development or application of theoretical concepts drawn from recent developments in psychology. The potential consequences of this situation are discussed. (A)
Abstract