Dr Adele Doran PhD, MSc, PGCE PCET, BA (Hons)
Associate Head
Summary
I am a researcher and consultant of sustainable outdoor recreation and adventure tourism. My research focuses on understanding the experiences and behaviours of participants, nature connection and enhanced well-being through the outdoors, responsible recreation, adventure philanthropy, and equality, diversity, and inclusivity. My research interests also lie in the management of the outdoor sector, including leadership, employment, decent work, media, and marketing.
About
I am a researcher and consultant of sustainable outdoor recreation and adventure tourism. I employ a range of methodologies, including survey research, interviews, focus groups, embodied ethnography, systematic and narrative literature reviews, and social media research. My research is referenced widely by the media.
I am an experienced project leader, and I have worked with both private and public organisations to collaborate on research, consult on projects, and engage them in my teaching and course development. Recent projects include evaluating responsible recreation in protected areas for Natural England; segmenting the climber market for Sport England and the British Mountaineering Council; evaluating adventure education programmes for Inspiring Learning; examining the relationship between camping and well-being for The Camping and Caravanning Club; and developing adventure-based city breaks and The Outdoor City brand for Sheffield City Council/VisitBritain as part of the Discover England Fund.
I have extensive experience of teaching at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels on tourism, outdoor recreation, management, and research modules. I am also an experienced doctorate supervisor and doctorate examiner, and External Examiner on UG and PG programmes
I am currently a Ï㽶ÊÓƵ & Innovation Lead in the Sheffield Business School. I am also a committee member of the Adventure Tourism Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Association, an organisation which seeks to bring together academics, adventure professionals and commercial operators; the Outdoor Recreation Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Group, a group of Ï㽶ÊÓƵ research experts with expertise in diverse areas of the outdoor recreation sector; and I sit on the British Mountaineering Council’s Equity Steering Committee and co-lead the Gender Equity Sub-Group. I am also an Associate Editor of the World Leisure Journal, and I sit on the Editorial Board of Leisure Studies.
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
Natural England: Responsible recreation on National Nature Reserves.
Sport England and the British Mountaineering Council: Segmenting climbers based on their motivations, behaviours, and development needs, and a critical assessment of the suitability of the current coaching performance pathway from beginner to Olympian.
The Camping and Caravanning Club: Examining the benefits of camping and outdoor activities for well-being.
Featured projects
New study shows camping is good for mental health and wellbeing
Publications
Key Publications
Doran, A., Booth, J., & Allan, J. (2025). Playing and exploring outdoors brings risk - and that's good for children.
Pomfret, G., Doran, A., & Cater, C. (Eds.). (2025). . Routledge.
Williams, H., Pritchard, K., Miller, M., & Doran, A. (2023). . Journal of Sustainable Tourism.
Richards, K., Doran, A., Brett, C., Wingfield, H., & Schofield, P. (2022). . The Camping and Caravanning Club.
Doran, A. (2016). Empowerment and women in adventure tourism: a negotiated journey. Journal of Sport and Tourism, 20, 57-80.
Journal articles
Doran, A. (2025). . World Leisure Journal, 1-3.
Peake, R., Davies, L., & Doran, A. (2025). . Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly.
Allan, J., Doran, A., Jones, R., & Farrell, S. (2024). . Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning.
Doran, A., Pomfret, G., & Adu-Ampong, E. (2022). . Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 51, 238-251.
Low, T., Maggie, M., Doran, A., & Hardwick, L. (2020). . Annals of leisure research.
Doran, A., Schofield, P., & Low, T. (2020). . Leisure Studies.
Doran, A., & Pomfret, G. (2019). . Tourist studies.
Doran, A., Schofield, P., & Low, T. (2018). . Leisure Studies, 37 (4), 396-410.
Doran, A. (2016). . Journal of Sport and Tourism, 20 (1), 57-80.
Book chapters
Rantala, O., Pomfret, G., & Doran, A. (2025). . In Pomfret, G., Doran, A., & Cater, C. (Eds.) Routledge International Handbook of Adventure Tourism. (pp. 7-26). London: Routledge:
Rantala, O., Pomfret, G., & Doran, A. (2025). . In Pomfret, G., Doran, A., & Cater, C. (Eds.) Routledge International Handbook of Adventure Tourism. (pp. 7-26). London: Routledge:
Pomfret, G. (2025). . In Pomfret, G., Doran, A., & Cater, C. (Eds.) Routledge International Handbook of Adventure Tourism. (pp. 115-132). London: Routledge:
Pomfret, G., Doran, A., & Cater, C. (2025). Introduction. In Routledge International Handbook of Adventure Tourism. (pp. 1-3). Routledge:
Doran, A., & Schofield, P. (2023). . In Goulding, P. (Ed.) Tourism: A temporal analysis. Oxford, Goodfellow Publishers:
Doran, A., & Kim, S. (2023). . In Goulding, P. (Ed.) Tourism: A temporal analysis. Oxford: Goodfellow Publishers:
Schofield, P., Doran, A., & Nolan, R. (2017). . In The Routledge international handbook of walking. (pp. 369-378). Abingdon, Oxford: Routledge:
Pomfret, G., & Doran, A. (2015). . In Musa, G., Thompson-Carr, A., & Higham, J. (Eds.) Mountaineering Tourism. (pp. 138-155). Routledge:
Reports
Richards, K., Doran, A., Brett, C., Wingfield, H., & Schofield, P. (2022). . The Camping and Caravanning Club.
Doran, A., & Hall, J. (2020). . Unpublished.
Gregory, M., Pomfret, G., & Doran, A. (2020). The Outdoor City Adventure Breaks - Evaluation Report.
Gregory, M., Doran, A., & Pomfret, G. (2018). Adrenaline fuelled city breaks: Ï㽶ÊÓƵ summary report.
Theses / Dissertations
Wingfield, H.L. (2023). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Doran, A., & Ali, A.
Wingfield, H.L. (2023). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Doran, A., & Ali, A.
Doran, A. (2019). . (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Pomfret, G.
Internet Publications
Yana, W., Doran, A., & Michal, A. (2023). .
Presentations
Doran, A. (2024). Emobodied Adventure Travel Philanthropy. Presented at: Leisure Studies Conference, Paisley, Scotland, UK
Doran, A., & Richards, K. (2022). The Outjoyment Report: A study into the well-being and mental health benefits of camping in the great outdoors. Presented at: Adventure Mind, Kingswood Outdoor Centre, Dearne Valley
Doran, A., & Richards, K. (2022). The Outjoyment Report: A study into the well-being and mental health benefits of camping in the great outdoors. Presented at: The Motorhome and Caravan Show, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham
Doran, A. (2022). BMC Equity Webinar Series: Women in the Outdoors. Presented at: BMC Equity Webinar Series, Online
Doran, A. (2022). Women in Adventure.
Doran, A. (2021). Women's outdoor adventure experiences on Instagram: Exploring user-generated content. Presented at: Tourism in the Digital Era, Online
Doran, A., Low, T., & Miller, M. (2019). #womeninadventure: Exploring women’s representation on Instagram. Presented at: International Adventure Conference, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Doran, A., & Low, T. (2019). Accessing benefits from mountaineering tourism: Female negotiation strategies. Presented at: International Adventure Conference, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Doran, A. (2018). Women's mountaineering tourism: An empirical investigation of its theoretical constraint dimensions. Presented at: International Adventure Conference - Climates of Change: Rethinking the Outdoor Experience, Segovia, La Granja and Valsain, Spain
Doran, A. (2017). Women's mountaineering tourism: An empirical investigation of its theoretical constraint dimensions. Presented at: Sustainable Tourism Development Conference - Issues, Challenges and Debates, Kathmandu, Nepal
Doran, A. (2017). Women's mountaineering tourism: an empirical investigation of its theoretical constraint dimensions.
Doran, A. (2016). Using phenomenology-based ethnography to examine mountaineering tourism experiences: A critical analysis. Presented at: Sheffield Business School Doctoral Conference, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
Doran, A. (2014). Empowerment and women in adventure tourism: A negotiated journey. Presented at: International Adventure Conference - Adventures in empty lands: The difference and value of wild places, Sogndal, Norway
Pomfret, G., & Doran, A. (2014). The role of gender in mountaineering tourism. Presented at: Adventure Tourism Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Association Seminar, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
Doran, A. (2012). A review of the current literature on female adventure tourists. Presented at: PhD Colloquium, Sheffield, UK
Doran, A. (2012). A review of the current literature on female adventure tourists. Presented at: Meanings, Markets and Magic. International Adventure Conference 2012 Fort William, Scotland, UK, University of the Highlands and Islands, Fort William, Scotland, UK
Other activities
Associate Editor of the World Leisure Journal
Editorial Board Member of Leisure Studies
Member of the British Mountaineering Council’s Equity Forum
Steering Committee Member of the Adventure Tourism Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Association
External Examiner for the University of Wales Trinity Saint David BA (Hons) Outdoor Adventure Education and MA Outdoor Education programmes
External Examiner for Northumbria University BA (Hons) Business and BA (Hons) International Hospitality and Tourism Management programmes
Previously I was the External Examiner for the London Metropolitan University BA (Hons) Tourism and Travel Management programme
Postgraduate supervision
4 current PhD and DBA students
1 PhD completion
3 PhD examinations
1 DBA examination
If you are interested in undertaking a doctorate in any aspect of outdoor recreation, adventure tourism, tourism, for example, consumer behaviour, decent work/employment, gender, marketing, sustainability, leadership, management and operations, please get in touch. I am happy to discuss any ideas you have.