MAPPING THE SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT OF GYMNASTICS RESEARCH: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE SCIENCE OF GYMNASTICS JOURNAL AND INTERNATIONAL DATABASE EVIDENCE

This study examined the scientific development, collaboration patterns, and thematic structure of the Science of Gymnastics Journal from 2009 to 2026. The corpus included 426 original scientific articles published from Vol. 1, Issue 1 (2009) to Vol. 18, Issue 2 (2026). Data were collected from the official journal archive and, where available, cross-checked with Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and InCites. A bibliometric approach was applied through descriptive statistics, author and country productivity indicators, co-authorship networks, keyword normalization, reference analysis, and thematic heat maps across three periods: 2009–2014, 2015–2020, and 2021–2026. The findings show that the journal has developed into a stable and internationally visible platform for gymnastics research. Artistic gymnastics, apparatus-specific performance, biomechanics, judging, training methodology, and injury prevention were the most consistent research areas. Over time, the thematic profile expanded toward rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, acrobatics, Gymnastics for All, youth development, health, nutrition, psychology, technology, and inclusive topics. Brazil, Greece, Slovenia, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and the United States were among the most productive countries. Overall, the journal has contributed to preserving, shaping, and internationalizing scientific knowledge in gymnastics.