Diverse perspectives: Empirical research trends and demographics in family court review the past 25 years

Abstract

Family Court Review (FCR) stands as a premier, peer-reviewed journal in family law practice, providing a platform for practical, theoretical, and empirical articles. Anchored in core values of interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to the well-being of families, FCR fosters scholarly discourse aimed at facilitating efficient resolutions of family disputes. In line with these values, the current study conducted an examination of articles published from 1998 to 2023 to understand how issues of diversity have been addressed. The analysis revealed an underrepresentation of quantitative empirical studies compared to other research types that were published in the journal. Furthermore, only a small minority of the empirical studies included important demographic data about the sample and an even smaller percentage of studies incorporated issues of diversity into the conclusions or implications for future directions. Notably, there was a trend showing an increasing number of articles that include and focus on individual differences over the past 10 years. Findings advocate for a greater emphasis on including publications with empirical data and disclosed demographics to bolster the robustness and applicability of research findings. By accentuating the diversity elements present in research samples and discussing their implications, FCR can deepen the understanding of the potentially disparate challenges and needs of individuals from various cultural backgrounds, who are involved in family law processes.