Priority scientific areas in sports dances research: the analysis of the scientific resources of Web of Science Core Collection

Abstract

Background and Study Aim. The increase in the popularity of sports dances recently has been confirmed. Dancing combines sports and aesthetic components. Dances are used for sports, recreational and rehabilitation purposes. The study aim is an analytical analysis of publications devoted to sports dances and the determination of priority scientific areas in this field. Material and Methods. The bibliometric database Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) is analyzed. For the primary analysis, 618 sources were selected which met the search criteria for 2018–2022. We used bibliometric methods for processing the information received in the context of sports dances for 173 sources. The VOSviewer 1.6.18 program was used: keyword analysis method and direct citation analysis with the construction of bibliometric maps, visualization of cluster density, weights – citations. Results. The constructed bibliometric maps made it possible to identify the leading thematic areas of research, current areas of research in this field. They can be divided into sports, recreational, medical and rehabilitation areas. The sports context is aimed at studying the performance of technical elements, the development of the physical qualities of athletes, the assessment of physical fitness, the dynamics of the morphofunctional state. Psychophysiological studies are aimed at analyzing balance and equilibrium. Publications of a recreational orientation study the health-improving use of dances, their impact on health. The medical and rehabilitation direction explores the features of sports injuries in dancing, injury prevention and the possibility of using dances in the complex rehabilitation. The use of the VOSviewer program, version 1.6.18, made it possible to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the problem, to determine the priority scientific directions in this area. Conclusions. The conducted bibliometric analysis of publications confirms the relevance of the problem of sports dances. A constant research interest in this problem has been determined. Research in this area has a pronounced sports and medical focus. Bibliometric analysis of publications allows identification the three following areas: sports, recreation and rehabilitation. Dancing is being explored as a sport, a form of physical activity, and a form of rehabilitation. A fairly high level of sports injuries has led to interest in the analysis of the prevalence and prevention of injuries. Its characteristic feature is the intersection of these directions. The study of athletes’ state confirmed the lack of works devoted to a comprehensive study of athletes, predicting success and skill growth. There are not enough works studying the physical state of sports dancers. There are practically no studies aimed at studying the psychophysiological state. These types of studies should be assessed as relevant.