Bibliometric study (1922-2009) on rugby articles in research journals

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to perform a bibliometric analysis of research journals containing scientific articles on the sport of rugby from 1922 to 2009. In this field 2057 articles were selected from major databases. The journals, authors and contents published were selected by taking into account the year of publication, thematic areas and modalities of rugby among other variables. A steady increase in production was found in the period considered, with a maximum of 174 articles published in 2007. The articles were written by an average of 2.5 authors and most of them (80.9%) only participated in one. The data showed a utility loss of 7.5% of the total items each year. The thematic areas and most influential journals on rugby had been identified. Finally, limited support has been found for attempting to adjust the bibliometric data by applying the laws of Lotka and Price with respect to the authors, and Bradford’s law regarding scientific journals.

Key words: Rugby; Bibliometric study; Scientific literature; Bibliometric laws of Lotka and Price; Law of Obsolescence in scientific literature; Bradford‟s law.