Bibliometric Comparative Analysis of Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed Databases: A General Approach to Martial Arts

<ns3:p>Background: Martial arts originating from East Asia have become a global phenomenon over time and are currently practiced for various purposes, such as self-defense, health promotion, and sport. This study proposes an analysis of the evolution and trends in literature on Martial Arts using a bibliometric approach, drawing on data from the Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and PubMed databases. Methods: In the search strategy, the term “martial arts” was used in the three databases. Comparative analyses were conducted on publication frequencies by year, authors, citations, institutions, countries, document types, areas of knowledge, sponsors, and journals. Furthermore, co-authorship and co-occurrence analyses were performed using the VOSviewer software. Results: The study shows a growing volume of publications on martial arts. Emerson Franchini was identified as the most prolific author in all three indexing bases, standing out for his affiliation with the University of São Paulo, which led the ranking of most productive institutions. The United States was identified as the most productive country in the Scopus and WoS databases. Medicine (in Scopus) and Sports Sciences (in WoS) emerged as the most relevant research areas. Conclusion: This study provides an overview of martial arts research, identifying trends and areas of interest that may inform future investigations.</ns3:p>