Publications
A collection of all publications authored or co-authored by Center staff and/or partners. This collection is a work in progress—if you don’t find a publication you’re looking for, please search for it, or email us at nercrd@psu.edu.
Publications by type:
Publications by topic:
The Allegheny National Forest region offers significant potential for sustainable tourism growth by balancing environmental protection and economic development. Researchers from West Virginia University and Penn State and their local collaborators drew on the perspectives of ANF visitors and residents in a survey conducted in 2024. This article shares key findings from the survey.
Authors: Claudia Schmidt, Douglas Arbogast, Jinyang Deng, and Stephan J. Goetz
Publication: Penn State Extension Date Published: June 25, 2025
Tags: outdoor recreation, tourism, TRIP
Abstract: Described as a mediation between people and technology, design is critical to innovative entrepreneurship but has been ignored in innovation research. The rigorous study of design has suffered from an inability to differentiate firms that approach design as ad hoc from those approaching design as a structured, creative process. This research uses newly available data from the 2022 Annual Business Survey Design Module categorizing 4 different approaches to design. These data allow us to examine the link between design and innovation with a focus on businesses in nonmetropolitan counties that challenges conventional wisdom that design is overwhelmingly an urban phenomenon.
A news release describing the key findings and their implications is available here.
Authors: Timothy Wojan, Luyi Han, Zheng Tian, Stephan J. Goetz
Publication: Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Date Published: June 18, 2025
Tags: rural innovation
This report presents findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey. A total of 136 survey participants identified themselves as being in a Western region states by reporting the postal (ZIP) code of their farm. (To access the national-level findings, visit this page.) This survey is part of a larger project aimed at defining and enhancing the agritourism support system in the United States.
Authors: Jason Entsminger, Claudia Schmidt, Sarah Cornelisse, and Jackie Schweichler
Publication: NERCRD Research Brief Date Published: June 3, 2025
Tags: agritourism, agritourism data brief, data brief
This “Research Snapshot” describes the caregiving experience for rural, suburban, and urban caregivers in the Northeast region of the U.S., as reported by households as part of the “NER-Stat: Caregiving Survey” — a regional household survey that the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) conducted in collaboration with Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), The Ohio State University and the National Farm Medicine Center. The survey was conducted in 2023 with 4,480 responses from the 13 states of the Northeast Region through a Qualtrics online panel. The dataset that this brief draws upon is also available as an open-access resource.
Authors: Elana Pojman and Florence Becot
Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: June 1, 2025
Tags: caregiving
This report presents Maine-specific findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey, conducted in part to address the type of knowledge gaps just identified. The online survey was open from March through August 2024, and 2,139 agritourism operators across the United States responded. A total of 94 survey participants identified themselves as being in Maine by reporting the postal (ZIP) code of their farm.
Authors: Jason Entsminger (University of Maine); Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD); Sarah Cornelisse and Jackie Schweichler (Penn State)
Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: May 2, 2025
Tags: agritourism, agritourism data brief, data brief, survey
This report presents findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey. This survey is part of a larger project aimed at defining and enhancing the agritourism support system in the United States. The primary objective of conducting this survey was to identify areas where targeted interventions and programs can support agritourism development across the country.
Authors: Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD), Jason Entsminger (University of Maine), Sarah Cornelisse and Jackie Schweichler (Penn State)
Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: April 21, 2025
Tags: agritourism, agritourism data brief, data brief, survey
Abstract: The U.S. urban-rural export gap is important given the share of manufactured goods in exports, the rural concentration of manufacturing activity, and recent federal investments in place-based policy. These investments raise questions about the size of the export gap and whether it is explained by differences in endowments or inherent rural disadvantages. Confidential trade data linked with business survey data alongside county-level variables allow an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition of the export gapUrban factors compensate for a less trade favorable industry mix, including the advantages of urban scale in export performance which may be insurmountable for rural areas.
Authors: Luyi Han, Timothy R. Wojan, Zheng Tian, Stephan J. Goetz
Publication: Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Date Published: March 30, 2025
Tags: rural innovation
This research report was developed as part of the USDA NIFA-funded project, “Factors Affecting the Success of Female and Minority Rural Entrepreneurs and Rural Economic Vitality.” The project, led by Dr. Heather M. Stephens, West Virginia University, seeks to provide insights into female and minority entrepreneurship to help key stakeholders develop policies and programs to support their success. This report provides detailed information about minority-owned businesses in the Northeast region. By highlighting the differences in minority entrepreneurship across the region, this report can support the development of policies to promote minority business development.
Authors: Xiaoyin Li, Heather M. Stephens, and Stephan J. Goetz
Publication: NERCRD Data Brief Date Published: October 22, 2024
Tags: entrepreneurship, minority entrepreneurship
Caregiving can be both a source of joy and stress for caregivers due to the lived realities of care provision and financial implications. In this brief, we explore the emotional and financial well-being of caregivers and assess differences across type of caregiving provided, gender, race-ethnicity, household income level, and geographic location.
Authors: Elena Pojman, Florence Becot, and Shoshanah Inwood
Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: October 17, 2024
Tags: caregiving
Providing care to children and adults requires time and resources. This brief explores the supports that caregivers use and the supports they still need. Since the caregiving needs of children and adults vary, this analysis includes variations on supports used based on the type of care provided.
Authors: Emily Southard, Florence Becot, Shoshanah Inwood
Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: October 1, 2024
