6. Conclusions
In this paper we have identified the most important trends observable in JEEM from 1974- 2014 and provided a detailed investigation of the environmental and resource economics research published by the journal in that period. The same classification scheme was also applied to the 100 most frequently cited articles in four other major journals in the subfield. Graphs and diagrams illustrate the content, research methods, environmental media, the regional dimension of the articles, and cross-cutting issues and provide insights into shifts of emphasis within each category.
The assessment points up the recent changes both in JEEM and in the environmental and resource economics field, indicating greater content diversity and a shift in research emphasis towards issues posed by climate change and energy usage. The changing complexion of methodological approaches reveals not only the increasing importance of statistical approaches and non-market valuation applications, but also the increasing popularity of experimental methods. Despite a growing focus on greenhouse gases, JEEM remains a prime discussion platform for all forms of environmental media and pollution, especially natural resources. Moreover, applications to specific regional contexts seem to have become the standard case for future research. The diffusion of environmental economics research into major general-interest economics (A+) journals and the attendant influence exercised by the characteristics of JEEM articles shows that only a small selection of factors appear to be relevant, among them climate change economics, market-based approaches and policy comparisons, econometric and statistical methods, and experimental approaches. By contrast, A+ citations are negatively correlated with a focus on water pollution and pesticides and other pollutants.
