James Peoples' area of research includes analysis of production efficiency for different modes of freight transportation as well as analysis of labor market activity in transportation industries. He has edited the following book on transportation economics: Transportation Labor Issues and Regulatory Reform (2004, Elsevier); Pricing Behavior and Non-Price Characteristics in the Airline Industry (2012, Emerald); and The Economics of International Airline Transport (2014, Emerald). He is also the series editor of Advances in Airline Economics (Emerald), and board member of the journal, Transport Policy (Elsevier).