Analyzing hockey publications through scientometric and altmetric perspectives

PurposeThis study aims to present scientometric mapping and altmetric analysis of publications related to "Hockey" in the past three decades. By using the advanced analytical techniques of mapping coupled with altmetric analysis, this paper aims to reveal the complex network of collaborations, the dispersion of expertise worldwide and prevailing thematic trends in the field of hockey.Design/methodology/approachThe data was extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) database and Altmetric Explorer for articles related to hockey over the past three decades. VOSviewer was used to conduct network analysis whereas MS-Excel was used for altmetric data analysis. The study focused on the articles retrieved using the key term "Hockey" in English language publications. The altmetric attention scores (AAS) were used to measure the level of online attention on different platforms, complementing traditional bibliometric analysis.FindingsThe study reveals a notable increase in the productivity of hockey research over the past 30 years, with a specific focus on major surges in publication output and altmetric attention in recent times. Coauthorship and country-wise mapping analysis highlight global research collaboration trends, while keyword analysis underscores thematic concentrations. Key journals such as British Journal of Sports Medicine and American Journal of Sports Medicine emerge as crucial dissemination platforms. The importance of X posts (Formerly Twitter) and Mendeley in the diffusion of hockey literature is highlighted by altmetric research.Originality/valueThe study provides a concise overview of research conducted on the game of hockey. This research will be advantageous for researchers and individuals involved in the hockey community, as it offers bibliographic insights and aids in identifying suitable media for disseminating their findings.