Mapping the field: A bibliometric analysis of women's football research trends and future directions
A summary of the research:
The article "Mapping the Field: A Bibliometric Analysis of Women’s Football Research Trends and Future Directions" by Cherappurath et al. (2024) analyzes academic trends in women’s football research from 1984 to 2024. Using data from 1,057 research articles in the Scopus database, the study provides insights into key contributors, prevalent themes, and emerging research areas in women’s football. The analysis highlights a marked increase in publications after 2019, with significant contributions from the United States, Leeds Beckett University, and various European funding institutions. By examining the most cited studies and identifying major journals, the authors establish a foundation for understanding the growth and intellectual structure of research in this field.
The study further uses science mapping techniques to reveal clusters in women’s football research, such as injury prevention, performance analysis, and the impact of gender on athlete health. It also identifies trending topics, including training loads, mental health, and biomechanics, suggesting these as future research directions. The findings underscore the importance of collaboration between institutions and the need for focused research to address knowledge gaps in women’s football.
Key Takeaways
The volume of women’s football research has grown significantly since 2019, with the United States leading in publication contributions.
Major research clusters focus on injury prevention, gender-specific health issues, and performance analysis, with science mapping revealing key themes and emerging topics.
Future research should target areas like mental health, biomechanics, and optimal training loads to support the evolving needs of female athletes in football.
Authors: Nafih Cherappurath, Perumbalath Shamshadali, Masilamani Elayaraja, & Dilshith Azeezul Kabeer
You can read the entire article here.
