CURRENT STATE AND TRENDS IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON CANOE PADDLING TECHNIQUE BASED ON A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF THE WEB OF SCIENCE CORE COLLECTION DATABASE

Abstract

The contemporary development of canoeing is characterized by the growing role of scientifically grounded analysis of paddling technique as a key factor in sport performance and is aimed at optimizing stroke biomechanics, identifying optimal movement trajectories, synchronizing movement phases, and increasing the efficiency of each paddling cycle. The aim is to conduct a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection in order to systematically outline the structure of the research field focused on the analysis of canoe paddling technique and to identify patterns in the formation, development, and structuring of modern scientific research in this area. The study employed general scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, and systematization of scientific information, as well as a set of bibliometric methods. The Web of Science Core Collection database served as the data source. The search was conducted using the key phrase “canoe stroke” with restrictions on publication years (2004–2025) and document types (review articles and early access publications were excluded). The final dataset comprised 140 scientific publications. Methods of general profiling were applied, including analysis of the number of publications, citations, countries, authors, institutions, and journals, as well as elements of scientific mapping to examine relationships between key components of the research field. Statistical processing included calculation of absolute and relative indicators, as well as analysis of publication frequency and dynamics. The results. It was found that 81,4% of publications fall within the period 2004–2025, with a peak in publication activity in 2011. The highest research productivity was demonstrated by the United States (39 publications), Spain (21), Australia and Canada (13 each). The leading subject categories were Sport Sciences (30,0%), Clinical Neurology (20,0%), and Medicine, General & Internal (15,7%). The most highly cited studies focused on biomechanical analysis of the paddling stroke, force characteristics of movement, temporal structure of the paddling cycle, and the application of inertial sensor systems, computer modeling, and machine learning methods. The bibliometric structure of the research field indicates sustained scientific interest in the analysis of canoe paddling technique and outlines prospects for further research aimed at integrating biomechanical, technological, and applied approaches into athlete training.