Impact of scientific contributions by Italian researchers in the subfield of 'Sport Sciences' using some topic-specific keywords

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to assess the impact of Italian researchers in the field of Exercise and Sports Sciences (ESS) within the 'Sport Sciences' subfield from 2017 to 2022, utilizing a comprehensive analysis of the top 200 researchers through the Scopus Researcher Discovery function. Methods: The researchers were categorized by roles (Full Professors, Associate Professors, and Researchers) and by academic scientific discipline: Physical Training and Methodology (code M-EDF/01) and Sport Sciences and Methodology (code M-EDF/02).Trends of total and relative metrics (citations and h-index) over the period 2017-2022 were assessed using Spearman correlation. Non-parametric linear regression analysis was used for the predictive analysis of these trends. Results: Less than half of these researchers were directly framed with ESS. Among the 83 identified ESS researchers, a detailed breakdown revealed that 29% were Full Professors, 41% were Associate Professors, and 30% were Researchers. However, despite this minority representation, there was a positive and significant correlation between the total impact and the impact specifically within the 'Sport Sciences' subfield. The analysis of bibliometric parameters aggregated by ASD shows positive correlations between total and relative citations, as well as total and relative h-index. These findings suggest a proportional relationship between production and impact. Additionally, disaggregated analysis by ASD confirms these results. Regression analysis further indicates that the independent variables (total and relative citations, total and relative h-index) influence the dependent variable (year). Conclusions: This analysis suggests that despite the relative youth of the subfield compared to other related areas, Italian researchers in ESS contribute proportionally to the impact within the 'Sport Sciences' domain. The results demonstrate the congruent development of Sports science and highlight the need for further studies that can measure progress in the impact of scientific production.