Ian Jones

Ian Jones is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sport and Event Management at Bournemouth University's School of Tourism. His research focuses on sport fan behavior, sporting identities, and qualitative research methods. He holds a PhD in Sociology of Sport (1998) from the University of Luton, alongside an MSc (1995) and BSc (1991) in related fields. Jones is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and manages the journal Leisure Studies. His work contributes to UN SDGs on sustainable cities and peacebuilding through sport's societal roles. He has authored influential textbooks like Research Methods for Sport Studies (2022).

Research interests include fan loyalty dynamics, identity maintenance in sport communities, and digital maltreatment in sport. Recent studies explore motivated ignorance in fan responses to ownership changes (2024) and Flat Earth communities (2023). Jones has led editorial boards for journals such as Journal of Sport & Tourism and International Journal of Festival and Event Management, and served as Head of Department (2007–2019).

Key contributions include analyzing social media's impact on athlete abuse (2016–2020), mega-event tourism strategies (2017–2019), and sport's role in nation branding (2010–2017). His work bridges sociology, tourism, and policy, emphasizing ethical sport practices and inclusive communities.